The US is building a new 'gas corridor' to help Ukraine and the EU.
The corridor from Greece to Ukraine is becoming a strategic energy route, helping Europe reduce its dependence on Russia and supporting Kyiv in overcoming the upcoming winter energy crisis.
According to the Sabah Daily (Türkiye) and AP on November 7, in a move aimed at tightening Moscow's financial ties and strengthening transatlantic energy partnerships, senior US officials are urging European partners to accelerate the transition away from Russian gas. The proposed solution involves expanding regional pipeline networks and increasing imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US.
The call came at a conference held in Greece by the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, which attracted more than 80 US officials, EU energy ministers, and top LNG executives. Also in attendance were US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The US is confident it can fill the void.
Amidst President Donald Trump's continued efforts to leverage the U.S.'s position as the world's leading LNG exporter to link energy supplies to trade relations with Europe and to end the conflict in Ukraine, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum made an ambitious statement: "The United States alone could replace all of Russia's gas supplies in Europe with what we are building."
This statement reflects the strong intention of the U.S. to fill the gap left by Russia's supply cuts following the conflict in Ukraine that erupted in 2022. Since then, EU members have rushed to modify their pipeline networks to replace Russian gas exports with LNG supplied by the U.S. and other major suppliers.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright welcomed the European Commission's plan to completely cut off Russian gas supplies to the EU within the next two years. He argued that this would "both drain Russia's budget and build a growing relationship in the future" between European and American nations. Wright also highlighted Moscow's dependence, stating, "They have five pipelines to Europe and one to China," referring to Russia.
With Europe already the largest LNG market for the US, the focus is now shifting to the so-called Vertical Corridor. This is a new, strategic north-south gas route connecting Greece with Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine. Export ports near Athens and northern Greece will play a key role in receiving the LNG.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis affirmed his country's geographical advantage: "Greece is fortunate to have a very unique geographical location, and we are a natural entry point for US LNG into Europe."
US and European officials believe that this corridor could play a crucial role in helping Ukraine counter Russia's ongoing attacks on Kyiv's energy infrastructure. Ukraine's largest private energy producer, DTEK, officially put the corridor into use earlier this year with its first LNG shipment from Louisiana to Greece.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Athens conference, DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko warned of the serious challenges Ukraine is about to face. Timchenko described the Athens meeting as "extremely important" and called on European and American countries to help provide more gas and equipment to repair Ukraine's damaged power grid.
"The coming winter will probably be the hardest winter since the full-scale war broke out. We need help. We need help with gas supplies, we need help with electricity supplies," Timchenko said.
In addition to promoting energy cooperation, Interior Minister Burgum also targeted European climate regulations, arguing that they could hinder energy partnerships.
In a related development, US and Greek partners also announced further investments in the Eastern Mediterranean. Specifically, Exxon Mobil, along with Helleniq Energy and Greece's Energean, confirmed new oil and gas exploration plans in the Ionian Sea, as part of the US company's broader strategy to expand energy capacity in the region.
