U.S. promotes Vertical Corridor to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian gas

The United States is intensifying its drive to detach Europe from Russian natural gas, aggressively championing the rapid expansion of pipeline infrastructure to supercharge exports of American LNG.

The Vertical Gas Corridor strategic initiative aims to modernize and expand the existing natural gas grid linking Greece through Bulgaria and Romania to Ukraine. Its core objectives are to slash Europe’s reliance on Russian energy supplies and to provide a vital lifeline for Ukraine, which remains heavily dependent on gas imports.

At a high-level meeting hosted by the Atlantic Council in Greece on 6 November, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined over 80 US officials, European Union energy ministers, and key LNG industry leaders to discuss the future of European energy security. Their collective goal was clear: to replace Russian gas with American LNG, effectively burying the last Russian molecule under a surge of U.S. exports.

Policy discussions highlighted the importance of completing upgrades along the Vertical Corridor, synchronizing approvals across Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania, and ensuring sufficient storage and reverse-flow capabilities into Ukraine.

The corridor, connecting Greek ports through Bulgaria to Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, and Ukraine, is already under construction and is scheduled to be operational by 2026.

New Vertical gas corridor to boost energy links from Greece to Ukraine by 2026

The Vertical Corridor is the only south-north highway capable of delivering U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) directly to households and businesses in Southeastern Europe. Once operational, it has the potential to supply between 5 and 8 billion cubic meters of U.S. LNG to the region. The project aims to diversify supply sources, enhance regional energy security, and reduce dependence on Russian hydrocarbons. This will be achieved through the expansion of existing pipelines and the development of new infrastructure capable of transporting up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas annually, including LNG from the U.S. and the Caspian region.

The focus on the pipeline connection has gained momentum as Europe seeks alternatives to Russian energy, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressing Greece’s pivotal role as the natural entry point for American LNG into the continent. The corridor is envisioned as a vital route to bolster Ukraine’s energy security, especially given the ongoing Russian missile strikes that continue to damage Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Burgum underscored the U.S.’s capacity to fully replace Russian supplies, aligning this effort with broader geopolitical objectives, especially in supporting Ukraine amid ongoing Russian aggression.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union has been rapidly restructuring its pipeline systems to replace Russian exports with LNG from the US and other global suppliers. Wright welcomed the EU’s commitment to phase out Russian gas within two years, viewing this as a strategic move to weaken Russia’s military capabilities and strengthen transatlantic ties. He pointed out Russia’s reliance on five pipelines to Europe and a single pipeline to China, contrasting this with Europe’s goal to diversify its supply sources.

Currently Ukraine’s energy sector faces severe challenges. Ukraine has warned of a difficult winter ahead, emphasizing the importance of the Vertical Corridor in helping the country withstand ongoing Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure.

U.S. officials in Athens welcomed the EU’s commitment to phase out Russian supplies within two years, framing it as both a security measure and an opportunity to deepen U.S.–EU energy ties.

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Concerns over European over-regulation

However, tensions remain within the global gas industry regarding European sustainability laws.

Burgum voiced concerns about European climate regulations, warning that overly restrictive policies could hinder technological innovation and energy partnerships. He argued that the energy transition should be viewed as an energy addition, emphasizing that current regulatory hurdles might impede advancements, including in energy-intensive artificial intelligence applications.

Executives from ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy have warned last week that stringent European regulations, particularly the proposed EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, could push them to leave the EU market.

These companies are among the largest LNG suppliers to Europe, which has become a critical market following disruptions to Russian supplies. In 2024, US exports accounted for about half of Europe’s LNG imports, while Qatar’s share ranged between 12% and 14%. Both companies have heavily invested in the region, with ExxonMobil committing around 20 billion euros over the past decade and QatarEnergy maintaining long-term agreements with several European energy firms.

The Athens gathering also saw significant announcements of new energy investments in the Eastern Mediterranean. ExxonMobil, partnering with Greece’s Hellenic Petroleum and Israel’s Energean, revealed plans to explore oil and gas in the Ionian Sea, Greece’s first such venture in nearly four decades. ExxonMobil would hold a 60% stake in the project, with exploration expected to begin within 18 months.

Sources: BGNES, eKathimerini, Athens News Agency, edited by a.k.

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Caption: US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (R) and US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle (L) attend the Partnership of Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC) meeting in Athens, Greece, 6 November 2025. The two-day meeting is attended by four ministers of the Trump administration, representatives of 25 European countries, and high-ranking executives of multinational and Greek energy companies to focus on its work on the supply of natural gas to the countries of Southeast Europe, in light of the EU decisions to gradually ban imports of Russian natural gas into the EU by the end of 2027. EPA/GEORGE VITSARAS