Ask Onix
US LNG to reach Ukraine via Balkans pipeline this winter
Ukraine will begin receiving vital shipments of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) in January via the Soviet-era Trans-Balkan pipeline, officials announced Sunday after talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens. The move aims to offset chronic energy shortages as Russia escalates attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure ahead of winter.
Greece's role in securing alternative gas routes
Greece will expand imports of American LNG to its terminals to "replace Russian gas in the region," Mitsotakis stated earlier. The European Commission has pledged to halt all Russian gas imports to EU member states by late 2027, citing revenue from such sales as a key funder of Moscow's war effort.
Zelensky emphasized the urgency of the deal: "We rebuild each time the Russians destroy, but this requires time, effort, equipment-and gas imports to compensate for the destruction of our own production." Kyiv has allocated nearly €2 billion ($2.3 billion) for imports through March, funded by European Commission guarantees and Ukrainian banks, according to Reuters.
Humanitarian warnings as winter approaches
The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs warned that "intensified attacks on energy networks" threaten to leave homes, schools, and hospitals without heat. Ukraine, which halted direct Russian gas purchases in 2015, now relies on EU states for supplies. The Trans-Balkan pipeline connects Greek LNG terminals to Ukraine via Moldova, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Military developments and Western support
In France, Zelensky and President Emmanuel Macron signed a letter of intent for Ukraine to acquire up to 100 Rafale fighter jets, along with SAMP-T air defense systems and drones. The non-binding agreement follows a similar deal with Sweden last month for 100-150 Gripen jets.
Meanwhile, Russian forces claimed control of three Ukrainian villages-one each in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions-amid reports of six civilian deaths in overnight attacks. Neither claim could be independently verified.
Refugee surge strains EU as conscription rules shift
EU states recorded 79,205 new Ukrainian refugees in September-the highest monthly total in nearly two years-after Kyiv allowed men aged 18-22 to leave the country. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Zelensky to address the influx, with Germany now hosting 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees (28.3% of the EU total).
Frontline struggles and long-term plans
Russia controls roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory, advancing slowly amid Kyiv's manpower shortages. Fighting has focused on Pokrovsk, a Donetsk logistics hub, where Russian troops recently breached defenses. Zelensky also visited the future headquarters of a proposed UK-French multinational force near Paris, intended to eventually monitor a potential ceasefire.
