European Union Commissioner Travels to Ukraine as Bloc Commits 160 Million Euros for Winter Assistance
Half of the war-torn nation’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed, leading to rolling blackouts that leave parts of the east in darkness for four hours at a time.
The European Commission president traveled to Kyiv on Friday to announce a €160 million ($180 million) aid package to help Ukraine prepare for the upcoming winter.
The focus of Ursula von der Leyen’s visit is on repairing and reconnecting the country’s war-damaged electricity grid and increasing its heating capacity as the cold weather approaches.
Approximately half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been demolished, resulting in blackouts in eastern regions. Von der Leyen likened the impact to the loss of electricity in all of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
“Heating season begins in two weeks, and Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure are causing significant damage,” von der Leyen stated during her talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the capital. “Our goal is to support Ukraine in overcoming these challenges.”
The plan is to assist Ukraine in decentralizing its power grid and reducing reliance on large power stations that are vulnerable to Russian attacks.
About 260 missiles struck energy infrastructure in a large-scale bombardment at the end of August. Europe has already provided over 10,000 generators and transformers, as well as mobile gas turbines that are more challenging to target and easier to repair.
The severe Ukrainian winter lasts from late October to March, with January and February being the coldest months. The EU aims to supply around 25 percent of the required 17 gigawatts of power during the winter months.
One goal of the aid is to encourage people to stay in Ukraine, as around 4 million have fled since the conflict began in February 2022.
The EU is offering short-term assistance such as housing, employment, or education to help those in need.
On Thursday, the European Commission announced an additional €160 million ($180 million) to fortify Ukraine’s energy network, with €100 million coming from frozen Russian assets.
Von der Leyen mentioned that the plan is to have Russia cover the costs through the earnings generated by their frozen assets. Denmark is taking the lead in placing orders for weapons and military equipment directly with Ukraine’s defense industry.
The discussions between von der Leyen and Zelenskyy will touch on loans from the Group of Seven to support Ukraine’s economy and the progress on Kyiv’s EU accession efforts.
The European Parliament passed a resolution urging EU member states to permit the use of Western weapons systems donated to Ukraine against legitimate military targets in Russia. The resolution also calls for additional sanctions on Chinese individuals and entities.
While Moscow insists that the West should cease weapons supply and “terrorist activity” sponsorship to end the conflict, Ukraine continues to seek international support to protect its cities and infrastructure.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
