Zelensky signs natural gas deal during two-day Poland visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a
regional natural gas deal security involving Poland and the U.S. on Aug. 31,
the first of a two-day working visit to Warsaw. The agreement creates
opportunities for Ukraine to diversify its gas supplies to receive liquefied
natural gas from the Swinoujscie LNG terminal in Poland, as well as Poland’s
Baltic Pipe pipeline from Norway. Poland can supply 1.5 bcm in gas at the
moment, which could grow to 6 bcm by 2021, according to the agreement, as
reported by the polskieradio.pl news site.

Ukraine’s involvement in gas purchases in Poland
creates the possibility to receive liquefied gas from the U.S., or enable
Ukraine to buy gas from the Polish state monopoly, said Piotr Naimski, Polish
deputy minister of economy. Also addressing reporters that day, U.S. Energy
Secretary Rick Perry confirmed the opportunity to sell liquefied gas to Ukraine
– with Poland as an intermediary – to reduce dependence on Russia.

During his meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda
on Aug. 31, Zelensky mentioned the need for transport licenses, simplifying the
transit of goods and people across the border, raising quotas for Ukrainian
carriers transiting Poland, improving the work of Ukrainian border officials,
creating more crossings along their mutual border and building the Via Carpatia
trans-European highway, as reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

In the second day of his working visit on Sept. 1,
Zelensky met with Polish businessmen to encourage their investment, assuring
them of further reforms in the judicial and law enforcement system. The same
day, Zelensky met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during commemorations of
the 80-year anniversary of the start of World War Two. Pence reiterated U.S.
support for Ukraine’s security and territorial integrity.

Zenon Zawada: It’s a positive
foreign policy strategy to build bridges and find allies with strategic
neighbors such as Turkey and Poland to offset Russian aggression. That’s
especially the case with the energy opportunities offered by Poland, given that
Russia is expected to cut its supplies to Ukraine this winter, perhaps
indefinitely. Zelensky’s visit to Poland is similar to his recent trip to Turkey, in which he
stressed cultural cooperation, raised key economic issues, and met with
businessmen to encourage their investment in Ukraine, assuring his personal
oversight. Time will tell whether investors are convinced.

As for relations with the U.S., media reports
mentioned no progress during Zelensky’s meeting with Vice President Pence on
the fate of aeronautics engine maker Motor Sich (MSICH UK), as well as USD 250
mln in earmarked U.S. military aid that is being reviewed.