EU delays Bosnia pipeline deal tied to Trump associates

S. The intervention was described in an April 13 letter from EU official Luigi Soreca. Officials framed the step as a warning that Bosnia and Herzegovina must align draft laws with Brussels to stay on its European integration track and preserve access to financial opportunities.

 

The issue centers on a planned pipeline intended to connect Bosnia to a liquefied natural gas terminal off the Croatian coast. The project is presented as a way to reduce Bosnia’s reliance on Russian gas, matching the EU’s stated 2028 deadline for member and aspiring member states to stop importing Russian gas. Bosnian officials had been moving toward awarding the contract to AAFS without a tender process, according to the account in the source material.

 

AAFS Infrastructure and Energy is described as a Wyoming-based company incorporated in November. The company is fronted by Jesse Binnall and Joe Flynn, who were involved in Trump’s 2020 election efforts. AAFS has said it plans to invest $1.5 billion in the pipeline and other Bosnian infrastructure, as outlined in the source material.

 

The EU’s action is notable because it is described as the first time the bloc has directly challenged a commercial venture involving individuals close to Trump. The source material says this raises the risk of a diplomatic confrontation with the United States. The EU’s message, as conveyed through Soreca’s letter, focused on process and coordination with Brussels rather than endorsing or rejecting the project’s energy goals.

 

Concerns about the proposed approach had also been raised by Transparency International. The organization criticized draft legislation that would require the contract to be awarded to AAFS without a competitive tender, calling it a “dangerous precedent,” according to the source material. The EU intervention similarly underscored the importance of aligning domestic legal steps with EU expectations as Bosnia and Herzegovina pursues closer ties with the bloc.

 

Key uncertainties remain around timing and next steps, including how Bosnian authorities will respond to the EU’s objections and whether the contract will be restructured to include a competitive process. It is also unclear, based on the information provided, how the United States will react if the dispute escalates. For now, the EU’s move has delayed the awarding of the contract and placed additional scrutiny on how the project is advanced.