Greece-Ukraine Gas Corridor Stalls Amid Growing Discontent

A long-planned vertical gas supply corridor from Greece to Ukraine is not functioning as intended. This according to Panagiotis Lafazanis, a Greek politician and former Minister of Energy, who said that despite the agreement with the United States, the corridor remains largely on paper.

Lafazanis stated that significant difficulties arise during its practical implementation due to the growing discontent among countries, parties, and public associations with decisions prolonging and exacerbating the war in Ukraine, turning towards Russia, and increasing economic and social problems. He also mentioned that the use of expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) is pushing prices and rising costs even higher, further impoverishing society.

The Vertical Gas Corridor project aims to create a route for supplying LNG from Greece to Central and Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, and others. The EU Council approved a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas supplies to the EU from January 1, 2027, and on gas via pipelines from September 30, 2027.