Energy security “is national security – it’s that simple,” emphasizes US Ambassador to Athens Kimberly Guilfoyle in her post regarding the agreement signed between Athens and Kyiv during Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit.
During the visit, a letter of intent was signed between DEPA Trading and Naftogaz for the supply of American LNG to Ukraine from December 2025 (with deliveries starting in January) through March 2026. The agreement is characterized as pivotal for regional and European energy security and resilience, while strengthening Ukraine ahead of a difficult winter.
“This achievement builds on recent agreements that will enhance energy supply to our European partners with American natural gas,” notes the head of American diplomacy in Greece.
Kimberly Guilfoyle: Her statement
“Energy security is national security. It’s that simple. I was honored to witness today in Athens the historic signing of a letter of intent between ATLANTIC-SEE LNG TRADE, a joint venture between Greek energy supplier DEPA and Aktor, and Ukraine’s NAFTOGAZ. This achievement builds on recent agreements that will bring American natural gas to our European partners, creating the necessary alternatives to Russian energy”.
Energy security is national security. It’s that simple. I was honored to witness the historic signing of a letter of intent between ATLANTIC-SEE LNG TRADE, a joint venture between Greek energy supplier DEPA and Aktor, and Ukraine’s NAFTOGAZ in Athens today. This achievement… pic.twitter.com/njZhVTiqA3
— Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle (@USAmbassadorGR) November 16, 2025
Mitsotakis – Zelensky: Major energy agreement DEPA Trading – Naftogaz in Guilfoyle’s presence
In the presence of American Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the major energy deal for transporting American LNG (liquefied natural gas) to Ukraine through Greece. Specifically, the agreement signed is between Greek DEPA Trading and Ukrainian Naftogaz. The agreement had been pre-announced by Volodymyr Zelensky himself, hours before his visit to Athens, stating in his post that Ukraine will import natural gas from Greece, which will help cover its winter needs. The Ukrainian President committed to securing nearly 2 billion euros to offset losses suffered from Russian attacks on domestic production.
The US goal to eliminate Russian natural gas from Ukraine and Europe runs through Greece
Meanwhile, Kimberly Guilfoyle’s presence shows how pivotal the US considers Greece as a geopolitical and energy hub. It’s no coincidence that this deal comes a week after the conclusion of the 6th P-TEC held at Zappeion. From behind-the-scenes conversations in the corridors and “closed” halls of Zappeion last week, as well as from official statements by American officials, it became clear that the US invests in and supports only those geopolitical chess players who can implement “drill baby drill”. Like Greece, which has transformed into an energy hub, essential for Europe’s independence from Russian energy. At Revithoussa, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is stored. In Alexandroupoli, the liquid – mainly American LNG – is converted to gas and channeled through the IGB pipeline to Eastern Europe and Ukraine. The aforementioned process is widely known as the “Vertical Corridor” and constitutes the most powerful weapon in our country’s diplomatic quiver at this moment. Greece is at the center of a new energy map that redefines balances, alliances, and roles.
On the agenda of discussions was the so-called Vertical Corridor, which makes Greece an important gateway for American – and other – liquefied natural gas, to be transported through this pipeline from Revithoussa and Alexandroupoli to Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as through branches to Hungary and Slovakia. The Greek Prime Minister described to the Ukrainian President his broader plan for a strategic connectivity corridor between the port of Alexandroupoli and the city of Odessa, which will include energy, transport and trade – a project that, as he has emphasized, will contribute both to Ukraine’s recovery and to Europe’s broader energy and economic resilience.
At the same time, Greece claims a voice and role in Ukraine’s next chapter and the country’s reconstruction, with the participation of Greek companies that can collaborate with Ukrainian and foreign firms in clean and green energy, infrastructure, health services, supply chains, maritime transport and defense.
What the DEPA Trading – Naftogaz energy deal signed in the presence of Mitsotakis, Zelensky, Guilfoyle, Papastavrou includes
As for the agreement signed by Konstantinos Xifaras and Sergii Koretskyi, it concerns a Letter of Intent between DEPA Trading and Naftogaz for natural gas supply to Ukraine’s market for the winter period, from December 2025 to March 2026, marking a substantial step in strengthening regional energy cooperation and European energy security. Under the future agreement, quantities of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the United States are planned to be transported via “Route 1”, jointly provided by the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) of Greece (DESFA), Bulgaria (Bulgartransgaz), Romania (Transgaz), Moldova (VestMoldTransgaz) and Ukraine (GTSOU).
The two state companies DEPA Trading and Ukraine’s Naftogaz, through this agreement, join forces in a particularly competitive and constantly evolving environment for the European energy market, where energy solidarity and Greece’s critical energy infrastructure enhance regional energy security and ensure stable natural gas flows along the Vertical Corridor.