Company with Trump ties near $1 billion Balkans energy deal
The Story
A company called AAFS Infrastructure and Energy is close to winning contracts worth more than $1 billion to build a gas pipeline across the Balkans. The project is intended to replace Russian gas with shipments from the United States. AAFS has no record of projects of this scale but has personal connections to Donald Trump. Its representatives include Washington lawyer Jesse Binnall, who acted for the Trumps, and Joe Flynn, brother of the president’s former national security adviser. Both were involved in efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 election defeat. According to a Guardian investigation, Bosnian legislation has stipulated that AAFS should be the pipeline contractor without a competitive tender. The Trump administration has expressed strong support for the project, while the EU’s ambassador privately warned Bosnia to consult Brussels on energy policy changes.
Key Facts
- AAFS Infrastructure and Energy is close to securing a concession for a $1 billion-plus pipeline across the Balkans.
- The pipeline is intended to replace Russian gas with U.S. fossil gas.
- AAFS’s representatives are Jesse Binnall and Joe Flynn, both linked to Trump’s 2020 election challenge.
- Bosnian legislation in March stipulated AAFS as the pipeline contractor with no competitive tender.
- The U.S. embassy in Sarajevo posted in April that the partnership strengthens energy independence and ends reliance on Russian gas.
- The EU’s ambassador sent a private warning to Bosnia about consulting Brussels on energy policy.
- Trump administration cancelled sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik in October; Dodik had lobbied Trump circles, including hiring Michael Flynn for $100,000 for a month’s work.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
- Who are all the shareholders of AAFS? (Bekan said Binnall, Flynn plus others he declined to name.)
- How will the pipeline be financed? (Bekan mentioned “investment funds in the United States” but gave no details.)
- What financial returns do the partners expect? (The proposal seen by the Guardian did not specify.)
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Jesse Binnall – Washington lawyer, AAFS representative
- Joe Flynn – brother of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, AAFS representative
- Amer Bekan – local representative of AAFS in Bosnia
- Milorad Dodik – Bosnian Serb leader, had sanctions lifted
- Igor Dodik – Milorad Dodik’s son
- Michael Murphy – former U.S. ambassador to Bosnia
- Donald Trump Jr. – visited Banja Luka in April
- Michael Flynn – former national security adviser, earned $100,000 lobbying for Dodik
Sources: The Guardian
