Ukraine

Zelensky to visit Greece on weekend to sign energy deal, source says

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Zelensky to visit Greece on weekend to sign energy deal, source says
Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) speaks during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky after their meeting in Athens on Aug. 21, 2023. (Aris Messinis / AFP via Getty Images)

Editor's note: The story is being updated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Greece over the weekend to sign an agreement in the energy sector, a source close to the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 13.

The visit was previously reported by the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, which wrote that Zelensky is set to meet with Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, among other top government and parliamentary officials, during a one-day trip on Nov. 16.

If confirmed, the reported trip would mark Zelensky's second visit to Athens since the start Russia's full-scale war. Zelensky previously visited the Greek capital August 2023 during a broader dinner with EU leaders.

The reported agreement comes as Ukrainian cities continue to be pummeled by Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, as Russia attempts to once again plunge the country into a harsh winter.

On Nov. 8, Ukrainian cities sustained "one of the largest direct ballistic missile attacks on energy facilities" since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, then-Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said. The attack forced Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, to implement over 12 hours of emergency power cuts to stabilize the energy situation.

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Dmytro Basmat

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