Ukraine Switches From Russian To U.S. Gas

The historic first marks a milestone in Washington’s bid to replace Russia as Europe’s top source of natural gas.

The new year is bringing a seismic shift for war-torn Ukraine’s energy systems.

Even as Russia’s military rained missiles down on Ukrainian cities, Moscow’s state-owned gas giant, Gazprom, has earned billions selling fuel to Europe via Ukraine’s Soviet-era pipeline network. But Russia’s invasion made negotiating a renewal deal with Kyiv impossible, and Gazprom’s five-year contract to transit gas through Ukraine expired on New Year’s Day.

So this month, Ukraine is getting a new gas supplier: the United States.

The first shipment of American gas into Ukraine marks a milestone in Washington’s bid to replace Russia as Europe’s top source of the fuel most used for heating and electricity.

Analysts say the delivery — just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, and amid what is forecast to be a particularly cold winter — offers a direct appeal to an American leader who campaigned on expanding U.S. exports of natural gas but whose Republican Party is split on whether to continue military support for Kyiv.