EU Commissioner: $440 million energy support fund to help Ukraine in winter

The Ukraine Energy Support Fund has already accumulated 400 million euros ($438 million), which will help Ukraine get through the winter, Ukrinform reported on Dec. 19, citing European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson.

The fund was established in the spring of 2022 as a joint initiative between Simson and Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko to channel financial aid to the Ukrainian energy sector. It is managed by the Energy Community Secretariat, the executive institution of the Vienna-based Energy Community.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels following a ministerial meeting on energy, the commissioner said Ukraine remains her top priority, especially in the context of the European Council's decision to open accession talks.

Simson called on European ministers to continue supporting Kyiv with equipment and financial aid to help the country overcome its second winter of war.

The fund's leading donors include the EU, Germany, the U.K., Switzerland, the U.S., Belgium, Denmark, Austria, and several private companies, according to Energy Community director Artur Lorkowski.

The combination of cold weather and intensified Russian attacks puts Ukraine's energy sector under heavy strain, especially as Russia intentionally targets critical infrastructure.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said that the coordinated Russian missile strike against Kyiv and central Ukraine on Dec. 7 was likely "the start of a more concerted campaign" aimed at degrading energy infrastructure.

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