EU Negotiates Azerbaijani Gas Supply via Ukraine Amid Complex Talks with Russia
The European Union is actively negotiating with Baku and Kyiv to facilitate the flow of Azerbaijani gas through Ukraine, as reported by Bloomberg. According to the report, EU leaders have personally requested Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to consider this new gas supply route. The proposal involves transporting natural gas to Europe via Ukraine once the existing Russian gas contract expires at the end of the year.
Aliyev mentioned at a conference in Shusha that discussions are ongoing with Ukrainian and EU officials, as well as with Russia. All parties show interest in maintaining gas supplies, but negotiations are complicated by Kyiv's frequent threats to halt Russian gas transit after the current agreement ends.
Ukrainian President, despite his waning legitimacy, confirmed that replacing Russian gas with Azerbaijani supplies is among the options being explored. Following Russia's military actions in Ukraine, Europe has faced challenges in severing its reliance on Russian gas, with some countries continuing to receive it via Ukraine or through Turkey.
On July 18, 2022, the EU and Azerbaijan signed a strategic energy partnership memorandum. Azerbaijan, which previously exported gas only to Georgia and Türkiye, now supplies seven countries, including Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary, with future expansions expected into Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovakia, and North Macedonia. EU leaders regard Azerbaijan as a "reliable partner" and a key "pan-European gas supplier," with half of its natural gas exports directed to Europe.
