Under conditions of utmost secrecy and with strict security measures, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in our country on Sunday. The timing of this visit is directly connected to the energy deals signed in Athens during the P-TEC Summit, exactly one week earlier.
Zelensky’s visit: The “Vertical Corridor” and Greece-Ukraine energy strategy
Ukraine and Greece, as outlined in the agreements, constitute the two gateways of the “Vertical Corridor” for transporting American LNG, activating new companies such as Atlantic-See LNG Trade (AKTOR – DEPA) following the historic agreement signed with the American LNG giant Venture Global. The plan develops over a second phase as it includes the channeling of American natural gas through existing or new pipelines to be built in Ukraine, to Central European countries, if Europe finally breaks away definitively from Russian natural gas in the post-war period.
Zelensky’s goal: Energy security for winter
One of the Ukrainian President’s objectives with his Athens visit is to cover his country’s natural gas needs after being cut off from Russian gas.
MP and former Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou confirms to parapolitika.gr that “essentially, Zelensky comes to Athens in the aftermath of the agreements achieved by the Mitsotakis government related to the Vertical Corridor.” He notes that “its eastern terminus will end in Ukraine. So Zelensky is seeking additional and secure gas volumes ahead of the winter that is now beginning. I know his goal is to increase natural gas imports by one-third because he has limited storage space due to bombardments. Greece can provide him with additional energy security this year through LNG imports from Alexandroupoli”.
The close Mitsotakis-Zelensky relationship strengthens cooperation
The steady support our country has offered Ukraine since the war began and the close personal relationship developed between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Volodymyr Zelensky has facilitated cooperation development in many sectors. Primary among these are agreements signed in the country’s reconstruction sector, following at least three business delegation visits to Kyiv. Last spring, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Odessa Summit, where Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou participated. “There is specific interest in involving Greek companies in the construction sector, healthcare sector, energy infrastructure sector, and port infrastructure that had begun to show from the Greek-Ukrainian business forum held by the Foreign Ministry last spring in Kyiv.”
The absolute support the Greek government offers Ukraine against Russia has been criticized several times by the opposition. Responding to this criticism, Mr. Chatzivasileiou argues: “The Mitsotakis government follows a foreign policy of principles and positions. Greece cannot follow a policy with double standards. International law is not applied à la carte, but rather is applied in every case. Very correctly, Greece supports the defender and very correctly condemned Russia’s unprovoked invasion of a sovereign country. Our consistent stance alongside law and democracy was vindicated by the result. The country became the main LNG entry gateway for Europe, which increases its geopolitical footprint while spreading a strong security network over our country. Thanks to the Mitsotakis government, Greece will host critical energy infrastructure of particular importance not only for our country but for the broader neighborhood and the European Union generally. Political forces that accused the government of supposedly wrongly supporting defending Ukraine simply invested in opportunism.”
What to expect from bilateral meetings
It’s worth noting that the Greek Parliament has not yet ratified the bilateral security agreement signed last October by Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Volodymyr Zelensky. Tomorrow’s bilateral meetings are expected to address issues regarding further strengthening Ukrainian armed forces with surplus Greek defense material. However, NATO’s requirement for providing Patriot missile systems has not yet found response from Athens.
