Washington blocks Azeri gas supply route

ICGB drill. ICGB, the independent natural gas transmission system operator of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria, successfully carried out an emergency response simulation near Komotini, raising noise levels on Thursday. An emergency scenario was developed to simulate a localized pipeline incident needing immediate response.

Washington has moved to secure exclusive access to natural gas destined for Ukraine through Greece, with US concerns focused on competing Azeri gas entering Greece via the TAP pipeline.

The issue emerged over the weekend, following the Atlantic-See LNG Trade agreement – signed in Athens in the presence of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – between the newly formed DEPA-Aktor venture and Ukraine’s Naftogaz.

According to information conveyed to the Greek government, the US effectively vetoed the transport of Azeri gas to Ukraine through Greece and the Vertical Corridor.

The matter was resolved after Greece pledged that Azeri supplies would serve only as a last-resort option to ensure uninterrupted deliveries under Atlantic-See LNG Trade’s contract for US LNG between December 2025 and March 2026, as well as future volumes tied to its long-term agreement with Venture Global.

Greek officials attribute the dispute to a “misunderstanding,” but the episode raises questions about US views on the planned cross-border “Route 3” product, which envisions Azeri gas deliveries to Ukraine via the Vertical Corridor and the ICGB interconnector.