Global leaders are calling for funds, equipment and hands-on technical expertise to help mend Ukraine’s besieged energy infrastructure ahead of winter. A communique issued in conjunction with the in-progress 2024 UN General Assembly in New York City also underscores the safety concerns arising from Russia’s continued control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, located in territory the invader has seized from Ukraine.
“We emphasize that any use of nuclear energy and nuclear installations must be safe, secured, safeguarded and environmentally sound,” declares the joint statement from the 20 member states of the G7+ Ministerial. “We strongly condemn Russia’s continuous missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and cities across Ukraine, which have escalated since March 2024 and severely threaten Ukraine’s energy security and the Ukrainian people’s access to critical services, including electricity, heat and water, during the cold winter months.”
Ongoing destruction is also considered a destabilizing risk for neighbouring Moldova, which is landlocked between Ukraine and Russia. “We are convinced that rebuilding Ukraine’s energy system in the short- and long-term is in the interest of enhancing global energy security and sustainability,” asserts the communique, which followed from a G7+ meeting jointly chaired by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, and the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
Governments, non-governmental organizations and the corporate sector are urged to assist with: critical repairs to power plants and district heating systems; the deployment of new distributed generation systems and emergency backup power; and implementation of passive protections for energy infrastructure
Financial support can be channelled via the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, established under the auspices of the European Commission and managed by the Vienna-based Energy Community Secretariat. Thus far, €629 million (CAD $943.5 million) has been pledged with €493 million (CAD $739.5 million) actually transferred to the fund.
