Rebuilding Ukraine: EU Commissioner Simson visited Ukraine to strengthen the support for the Ukrainian energy system

The European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, and international partners during her visit to Ukraine to discuss immediate and concrete support for its energy sector, which has suffered from Russian aggression. Russia’s continuous and deliberate actions against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure over the past weeks and months have affected more than 30% of the country’s energy system.

“In its war against Ukraine, Russia has turned energy into a battlefield. And on this battlefield, the EU is fighting alongside Ukraine. Russia is deliberately targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure to increase human suffering as winter approaches. Our top priority is to protect millions of families in Ukraine from cold and darkness. We need joint efforts by governments, institutions, and private companies in the EU and beyond to increase the support we are already providing,” said EU Commissioner Kadri Simson during her visit to Kyiv.

The European Union, together with member states and private companies, has delivered millions of euros worth of emergency energy equipment to Ukraine, but the level of support needs to be increased due to the escalation of Russian attacks. In addition to the necessary equipment, €25.5 million has been allocated to meet the most urgent needs through the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, established by the European Commission together with the European Energy Community. In the coming days, the European Commission, the Energy Ministry of Ukraine, and the Energy Community will launch a targeted campaign to mobilise further support from the private sector.

The Commissioner’s visit took place on the eve of the winter season and less than a week after the European Commission and the Group of Seven industrialised countries called for an international Marshall Plan for Ukraine intended to pave the way for the immediate and sustainable reconstruction of the country.

In Kyiv, EU Commissioner Kadri Simson met with President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss recent events and how the EU can lead international efforts to repair and rebuild Ukrainian energy infrastructure. She also participated in the first meeting of the International Energy Advisory Council for Ukraine (IEAC4U), a new forum announced by Minister Herman Halushchenko at a meeting of EU energy ministers in Prague in mid-October. IEAC4U will help coordinate the efforts of all participating countries and provide technical assistance tailored to Ukraine’s needs using possible contributions.

This visit was also an opportunity for Commissioner Simson to co-chair a high-level energy dialogue between Ukraine and the EU with Energy Minister Halushchenko, addressing the urgent needs of the Ukrainian energy system, supply security, as well as the reconstruction and decarbonisation of the Ukrainian energy system. During the meeting, the Commissioner announced that €13 million has been allocated for the restoration of laboratories damaged by Russian occupiers at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and that the EU intends to channel an additional €3.5 million through the International Atomic Energy Agency to support Ukraine in this sector.

The Commissioner also met with members of the Verkhovna Rada and held discussions with representatives of UkrEnergo and other Ukrainian energy companies.

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