Ukraine Could Import Large Volumes of U.S. LNG
Ukraine could import significant quantities of U.S. LNG via terminals in EU countries as it seeks to boost supply with domestic infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks, the head of the gas system operator told Reuters in an interview published on Wednesday.
Ukraine could import at least 4 billion cubic meters of gas between April and October this year, Dmytro Lyppa, chief executive at the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU), told Reuters.
DTEK, Ukraine’s biggest private energy company, signed in June a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with U.S. firm Venture Global for the supply of U.S. LNG to Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
Ukraine could import American LNG via the terminals in Germany, Greece, Lithuania, and Poland, according to the gas system operator.
“If we take the political aspect, it is better for us to bring as much (U.S. LNG) as possible to Poland and gradually bring it to us,” Lyppa told Reuters.
Ukraine can import natural gas via pipelines from Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Ukraine will be looking to import as much U.S. LNG as possible via the European terminals, the executive said.
Due to the geopolitical situation, Ukraine could prefer U.S. LNG to supply from competitors, Qatar for example, if the different in prices is not significant, Lyppa told Reuters.
The U.S. has been seeking to broker a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia in recent days. Ukraine on Tuesday “expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire,” says a joint statement of Ukrainian and American delegations following their meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
However, the proposed ceasefire is contingent on Russia also agreeing to it.
Russia has been targeting – and hitting – energy infrastructure in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022. Air strikes become more aggressive and frequent during the winter when Ukraine needs more gas and all other sources of energy to keep heating and lights on.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
U.S. Resumes Military Aid to Ukraine
The resumption of aid follows a brief freeze and a public clash between the US and Ukrainian presidents, causing concern among Ukrainian frontline soldiers.
A 30-day cease-fire proposal has been adopted by the US and Ukraine and presented to Moscow, with both countries expressing readiness to work on a truce road map.
US military aid to Ukraine has now started moving across the border from Poland, following an agreement between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, according to Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
Sikorski was speaking to reporters alongside his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiha, in Warsaw, as the latter returned from the talks in Jeddah on March 12.
"I can confirm that arms deliveries via Jasionka have returned to previous levels," Sikorski said, referring to a logistics hub southeastern Poland.
Washington had announced it was freezing supplies last week after a public clash in the White House between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The move caused deep concern in Ukraine, which Current Time documented in interviews with frontline troops.
"Give us more weapons, and we'll guarantee our security," said one soldier, identified by the call sign Sokol, serving in an artillery unit in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.
"I think things will clear up soon, and we'll keep receiving weapons and other aid."
Sokol was right, with aid having now resumed following the nine-hour meeting that resulted with Ukraine and the United States adopting a proposal for a 30-day cease-fire.
Washington has now presented this to Moscow, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring, "We're going to tell them this is what's on the table."
The United States is Ukraine's single biggest arms donor, and Sokol's comments underlined how important the resumption of weapons supplies is to Ukraine's war effort.
"We use a lot of weapons produced in the United States and Europe," he said.
Another soldier in the unit, identified as Odin, said: "We're doing everything we can to keep [Russian forces] out of the Dnipropetrovsk region. We are inflicting huge losses to minimize their movements on our land."
Speaking in Warsaw, Sybiha reiterated his country's commitment to the 30-day truce.
"We are ready to create the appropriate team on our side that will work on this road map on how to get this truce, if it happens," he said.
Russian officials did not immediately respond to the Jeddah proposals.
Speaking on March 12, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "We have planned contacts with the Americans in the coming days, during which we count on (getting)complete information."
By RFE/RL
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