Commissioner Lahbib visits Ukraine to reiterate EU support

As Russia continues to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving more than a million people without electricity or water, the European Union stands firm alongside Ukraine to help its people endure another winter under attack. Today, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib is in Ukraine to reaffirm that Europe’s support is constant, concrete and long-term, and that Ukraine’s resilience remains a European priority.

Commissioner Lahbib stated: 

“When a family cannot heat their home or a hospital is left without electricity, this is not collateral damage, but a direct attack on the civilian population. Russia is trying to subjugate a nation. It will fail. Ukraine has shown remarkable resilience. Europe will continue to support them to keep the lights on and hope alive.”

During her visit, Commissioner Lahbib will meet with Ukrainian authorities, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, as well as representatives from the Presidency, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Development. Discussions will focus on strengthening humanitarian assistance and the resilience of the country’s critical infrastructure.

The Commissioner will visit key energy facilities that supply electricity to more than 500,000 people and have been severely affected by attacks, leaving large segments of the population exposed during the harsh winter.

Commissioner Lahbib will also visit EU-supported health and social welfare institutions. She will meet with medical and social welfare staff, as well as beneficiaries, to discuss current needs and the EU’s continued support for health services and emergency response.

In addition, the Commissioner will visitEU-supportedcentresin Kyiv that provide vital services such as heating, medical assistance and hot meals to families affected by the energy crisis.

Fund

To date, the total support provided by the EU and its Member States amounts to£193.7 billion. The EU has also provided more than 157,000 tonnes of aid, including more than 11,200 power generators, more than 7,200 transformers, 6 autotransformers, a complete thermal power plant, thousands of electrical components and millions of energy-efficient LEDs. In January alone, the EU deployed nearly 1,000 generators from its strategic emergency reserve in response to Russia’s relentless attacks on energy infrastructure.

More information: European Commission.