Deputy Minister of Energy Anatolii Kutsevol held a meeting with Belen Martínez Carbonell, Secretary-General of the European External Action Service. They discussed Ukraine’s urgent energy needs as well as medium- and long-term development goals.
Anatolii Kutsevol briefed on the current situation in the energy system and the consequences of recent Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He emphasized that during January–February, amid extreme cold, Russia deliberately targeted not only power generation and gas infrastructure, but also heating and water supply systems, attempting to provoke a humanitarian crisis.
“Under these circumstances, maintaining the stability and functionality of the energy system is not only a technical task but also a matter of national resilience and security. Restoration work is ongoing, but it also requires mobilizing international support. The main priority is restoring generation, substations, and networks, as well as forming reserves of equipment and capacities,” noted the Deputy Minister.
He added that one of the government’s priorities is also ensuring the resilience of municipal infrastructure in local communities during the upcoming autumn–winter period. For this, the Ministry of Energy is actively promoting decentralization and increasing distributed generation capacity.
Participants discussed logistical arrangements for aid delivery through EU Civil Protection Mechanisms and the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine, as well as the transfer of relevant equipment to Ukrainian companies.
The meeting also covered the implementation of EU integration obligations in the energy sector, progress achieved, and next steps.
Anatolii Kutsevol briefed the Secretary-General of the European External Action Service on the process of adopting the legislative framework for reforming and integrating Ukraine into European energy markets.
Belen Martínez Carbonell expressed admiration for the resilience demonstrated by the Ukrainian people under continuous Russian attacks on energy facilities and assured that the EU will continue supporting Ukraine’s energy resilience.
