Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv: Russian money will work for Ukraine
During her visit to Kyiv, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a proposal to provide Ukraine with macro-financial assistance of up to EUR 35 billion for 2024–2025. This initiative is part of the G7 countries’ plan to use immobilised Russian assets. It is envisaged that the loan will be repaid solely from future profits generated by immobilised Russian assets in the EU. To facilitate this, it is proposed to establish a special Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism (ULCM). This mechanism stipulates that the funds provided ‘will be non-repayable for Ukraine’, and Kyiv will independently determine where to allocate these funds.
КKatarina Mathernová:
“My goal is to do everything
I can to support Ukraine in its war effort. I believe that the European Union has actually done a lot in this respect”
The first year of Katarina Mathernová’s tenure as the EU Ambassador to Ukraine was filled with numerous events. In an interview for European Pravda, she speaks about achievements, the current difficult period, and EU plans to ‘provide as much support as possible to the accession negotiations’.
Roberta Metsola:
‘This is a litmus test of our political generation’
The EU’s support for Ukraine is not an act of altruism but a matter of its own freedom and security, according to Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Monday 23 September, she emphasised that the world cannot ignore Ukraine and must do everything possible to break the cycle of violence. «We will always advocate for peace, but it must be just, with dignity and freedom. Achieving this requires unity,» Metsola concluded.
EU-UKRAINE:
ACCESSION ALGORITHM
Ukraine is fighting for its right to join the EU
EU High Representative Josep Borrell voiced his support for Ukraine’s efforts to implement the reforms needed for EU membership. He noted that Ukraine is battling on multiple fronts: carrying out the necessary reforms to join the European Union, fighting on the battlefield, and defending the home front. Additionally, Ukraine is striving to protect its civilian population from attacks while maintaining the economic and financial capacity to meet its state obligations, Borrell explained.
Time for change:
How can Ukraine benefit from reforms?
At the request of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has developed a plan for EU reforms. Ukraine, currently in accession negotiations, will also play a role in these processes. How can Ukraine take advantage of these potential changes and become a driver of transformation? Forbes explored this question with Jacob Kirkegaard, an analyst from leading European think tank Bruegel.
ECONOMY, FINANCE, BUSINESS
To learn and grow:
4,700 skilled workers
for Ukraine
The EU, Poland, and Estonia have joined the German government’s Skills4Recovery programme to enhance training opportunities for young people and adults in Ukraine. The programme will support institutions offering vocational education, consulting services, and promoting best practices in public-private partnerships for training of skilled workers. With new partners, the programme’s budget has grown from EUR 10 million to EUR 25.5 million, and its reach now extends across all Ukrainian-controlled territory.
SECURITY SUPPORT
EU supports Ukrainian defence industry: It is faster, cheaper, and more effective for the economy
The EU has allocated EUR 400 million from immobilised Russian assets to support Ukraine’s defence industry, and this support will continue, according to Katarina Mathernová, EU Ambassador to Ukraine, in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine. This approach supports Ukraine’s defence industry, which can produce more quickly and cost-effectively, while also reducing reliance on international logistics and transport. Additionally, it bolsters Ukraine’s economy. The EU Ambassador expressed hope that other countries would follow suit and ‘use the incredible innovation happening in Ukraine in this area as a platform for financing’.
EU strengthens the technical base of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
Ukrainian border guards received cutting- edge border surveillance complexes from the European Union as part of the ‘EU Support for Strengthening Integrated Border Management in Ukraine (EU4IBM- Resilience)’ project. The handover event was attended by EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernová, the First Deputy Chief of the State Border Guard Service Volodymyr Nikiforenko, and representatives of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the project’s implementing agency. Last year, this cooperation provided border guards with radio stations, mobile X-ray scanners, and rehabilitation equipment for State Border Guard Service personnel.
ENERGY AND THE EUROPEAN
“GREEN COURSE”
To provide energy equipment and protection
Given the significant threat posed by Russian attacks on new energy generation facilities, the European Commission has proposed a EUR 35 billion loan to support Ukraine with both defence and financing. The Commission highlights the need to equip Ukraine with power generation capacities and air defence systems to safeguard these facilities from potential destruction in the near future.
Lithuania transfers CHP plant to Ukraine
Ukraine needs 17 GW of power generation capacity for the winter, and the EU has announced an additional EUR 160 million for this purpose. To date, more than 10,000 generators and transformers have been transferred to Ukraine through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. In mid- July, the Lithuanian company Ignitis Gamyba announced the transfer of Vilnius CHP-3, the third-largest power plant in Lithuania, to Ukraine as humanitarian aid. Its installed thermal capacity is 600 MW, and its electrical capacity is 360 MW. The equipment is currently being dismantled and shipped to Ukraine.
Together We Bring Light: Bulb exchange programme has concluded, while the EU continues to strengthen its support for Ukraine’s energy sector
LAW AND RULE
Law granting EU representatives the authority to inspect any individual or legal entity involved in receiving EU funding adopted in Ukraine
The Verkhovna Rada ratified the Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on Ukraine’s participation in the EU Anti-Fraud Programme (EUAF). Under the agreement, representatives of EU institutions and bodies, specifically the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors, and other individuals authorised by the European Commission, will have the power to conduct investigations, fielding audits and inspections at the premises of any individual residing in Ukraine or legal entity established in Ukraine and receiving EU funding.
Shadow report: Civil society’s assessment of the fight against corruption and European integration
On Monday 16 September, a coalition of civil society organisations, including Transparency International Ukraine, presented a Shadow Report to the European Commission on the state of affairs in Ukraine in 2024. The Shadow Report is so named because it’s not an official government document. It was prepared by experts and civil society at the request of European partners. This is the first time such a report has been prepared within the framework of Ukraine’s European integration process. This document covers the main issues from Section 23 of the European Commission’s 2023 Report on Ukraine, entitled ‘Justice and Fundamental Rights’. Fulfilling all the points in this chapter is a prerequisite for Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Learn more.
HUMANITARIAN AID AND SOCIAL SUPPORT
NGO ‘Veteran Space’ helps veterans and their families with EU’s support
The Vinnytsia-based NGO ‘Veteran Space’, supported by the EU, provides physical rehabilitation, psychological and legal support, and social and domestic consultations to veterans and families of fallen or missing soldiers. Experts believe such spaces should exist in every community. Currently, there are 24 in Ukraine, with 3 located in the Vinnytsia Oblast. EU assistance is instrumental in establishing and supporting these initiatives.
EDUCATION, SCIENCE, CULTURE
EU Defence Innovation Office launched in Kyiv
On 20 September, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov marked a significant milestone by launching the EU Office of Defense Innovations in Kyiv. This is a landmark event, signifying a new level of cooperation between the EU and Ukraine in the field of defence technologies. The primary focus of this interaction is to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capacities, including joint developments in IT and weapons production. As a reminder, the IT coalition within the framework of Ramstein has already attracted more than EUR 70 million from 13 participating countries, and the drone coalition, consisting of 16 countries, has collected EUR 500 million and transferred thousands of drones to Ukraine.
EU to provide 1 million textbooks to Ukrainian schoolchildren for the new school year
The first batch of 1 million computer and arts textbooks printed in the EU for Ukrainian schoolchildren was delivered to the Ukrainian authorities, bringing the total number of textbooks donated to Ukraine since the start of the war to 1.5 million. The European Commission aims to ensure that pupils in Ukraine can continue their education, despite the ongoing and indiscriminate Russian drone and missile attacks and power supply disruptions. The initiative is funded under the Erasmus+ programme.
Training skilled personnel is a priority
Seven new projects involving 20 VET providers from Ukraine have been selected for funding under the European Union Erasmus+ Programme for Capacity Building in the Field of Vocational Education and Training (VET). In total, out of 299 submitted applications, 72 projects were recommended for funding.
Ukrainian organisations will benefit from the experience of European partners and expand their capacity to implement reforms in the field of vocational education and training (VET). The projects will be implemented jointly with 55 partners from 16 countries. EU grants range from EUR 100,000 to EUR 400,000 per project.
Journalism during wartime: Red lines and freedom of speech
On 19 to 20 September, Kyiv hosted National Media Talk 2024 – a conference of media professionals from across the country, who engaged in discussions about freedom of speech, transformations in the media market, and the challenges journalists face during the war.
The issue of media freedom and independence during wartime has a particular resonance in Ukraine, which is why the discussions were emotional and candid. The panel, titled ‘Media in Wartime: Guardians of Democracy and European Choice’, featured the Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernová. Read on to find out what the Ambassador spoke about.