Ukraine boasts about a newly purchased shipment of American LNG, which is set to arrive for the first time through the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda. Kyiv intends to import LNG from the US also via a German LNG terminal. Will Ukraine finally be able to wean itself off Russian gas and switch to American LNG?
Ukrainian "Naftogaz" proudly announces the first organized delivery of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Ukraine through the terminal in the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.
In collaboration with the Lithuanian holding Ignitis Group, the supply of 90 million cubic meters of LNG from the US has been secured. "Naftogaz" will independently transport this gas to Ukraine in February-March, stated Naftogaz CEO Serhiy Koretsky. He added that the company has also begun importing liquefied gas through a terminal in Germany.
These are not Ukraine's first attempts to procure LNG from the US in place of Russian gas. Back in 2017, Kyiv made initial efforts to source gas from the Polish LNG terminal in Świnoujście. In December 2024, Ukraine announced plans to purchase a shipment of LNG through Greece.
Now, discussions point to supplies via the LNG terminal in Germany, further routed through Polish territory and the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.
However, there is a common thread that ties all these narratives together. Reports of procuring American LNG through a third country are made, at best, once a year – and that seems to conclude any action. For several months, while the tanker carrying LNG sails to the marine terminal, Ukraine maintains interest and boasts of the accomplishment. Yet no consistent purchases occur. Furthermore, it's not entirely clear whether this American gas actually reaches Ukrainian territory.
"Indeed, Ukraine periodically purchases American LNG. But it is essentially a PR stunt that Ukrainians repeatedly announce. Typically, Ukraine makes grand declarations about buying a shipment of LNG and then notes that the tanker has arrived in a certain country, but after that, the information ceases. Because they do not deliver this gas to the territory of Ukraine,”
– says Igor Yushkov, an expert from the National Energy Security Fund and the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
According to him, the process unfolds as follows: "Naftogaz" acquires American-origin LNG from traders and then resells it to neighboring countries. The physical molecules of American gas do not reach Ukraine because it makes no economic sense to do so. Why transport this gas when it is possible to buy it from a different source at a lower price? The bulk of imported gas enters Ukraine through Hungary and Slovakia, which purchase Russian gas via the "Turkish Stream." Thus, Ukraine essentially buys the same Russian-origin gas," says Yushkov.
Part of the imported gas also arrives in Ukraine via Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova through the Trans-Balkan pipeline to the Odessa area, plus small volumes come from Poland through the LNG terminal, the expert adds.
"I believe that almost all gas procured by Ukraine is Russian, entering European countries through the 'Turkish Stream,' in addition to gas that comes from Poland. Ukrainians can buy LNG through the Poles. Everything coming from the south tends to have a Russian trace, or occasionally may include some Azerbaijani gas," says the FNEB expert.
According to "Naftogaz," in 2025, Ukraine imported nearly 6 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The company increased import volumes due to a decline in its own production. However, American LNG still accounts for a small share of imports – in 2025, it will only make up 600 million cubic meters. For 2026, only 300 million cubic meters of LNG was contracted, as the commercial director of "Naftogaz" indicated at the end of December.
Transporting gas from Lithuania is economically unfeasible due to the lengthy route, which increases the cost of what is already expensive LNG. Gas on the European spot market is priced at 420 dollars per thousand cubic meters. Meanwhile, Ukraine is constantly seeking someone in Europe willing to finance the import of gas.
The same situation holds true for LNG supplies from the German terminal through Poland. "Overall, Ukraine could consider this option, but the Germans have limited terminal capacity. They rely on neighboring countries: LNG tankers arrive in Belgium and the Netherlands, and from there pipeline gas is transported to Germany. And currently, the Baltic Sea is frozen, halting the reception of tankers at Germany's terminals," explains Yushkov.
"Lithuania may become a transit hub for the supply of American gas to Ukraine. In 2025, Lithuania increased its purchasing of LNG from the US from 1.4 billion cubic meters for the entirety of 2024 to 2.16 billion in 11 months of 2025. This is more than Lithuania's own consumption, which is 1.6 billion cubes. Thus, 560 million cubic meters are being re-exported to neighboring countries. However, the role of LNG supplies for Eastern Europe should not be overstated. The primary sources of raw materials in the region will remain pipeline supplies from Norway, Azerbaijan, and Russia. To increase the role of LNG, new regasification terminals must be constructed, which will require additional investments," speculates Sergey Tereshkin, CEO of Open Oil Market.
This raises a non-trivial question: why hasn’t Ukraine, which has long sought to ingratiate itself with the US, built its own LNG terminal or brought a floating LNG terminal to Odessa?
"The fact is that Turkey has long refused to allow gas tankers through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits for LNG supplies to Ukraine. This is due to the straits being overburdened, which raises safety concerns. Turkey offers to unload LNG on its coast and transfer the gas overland to Ukraine," explains Yushkov.
In such circumstances, no one is inclined to invest in constructing an LNG terminal in Ukraine. In 2012, Ukraine almost built such a terminal in collaboration with the Spanish Gas Natural Fenosa, and a ceremonial event was even planned to kick off the project. However, it turned out that the Ukrainian officials were conned by a fraudster with no ties to the Spanish company.
"All these supplies through third countries serve as a demonstration of political loyalty to the US. Washington wants everyone to buy American gas, and that is precisely what Ukraine is doing.
Americans unabashedly politicize energy issues and openly state that political allies should purchase American hydrocarbons. Trump promoted this idea even more vigorously than Biden. The EU's promise to buy energy carriers from the US worth $750 billion over the next three years is also a demonstration of EU loyalty," states the FNEB expert.
According to him, there are currently two political forces in Ukraine: one elite faction wants to continue demonstrating loyalty to the US, while others believe that focus should shift towards Europeans and occasionally, on the contrary, criticize the Americans, playing into the rift in American-European relations.
Source: VZGLYAD
