Germany pledges €200 million to Ukraine's energy suppliers
Germany has pledged €195 million euros to Ukraine in energy supplies and support for energy companies in preparation for the upcoming winter, the German Development Ministry reports.
Germany's Development Minister Svenja Schulze and Ukraine's Vice PM Oleksandr Kubrakov agreed on further support of Ukraine in protecting critical energy infrastructure and economic recovery.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation has already provided about 1.2 billion euros of support to Ukraine since the beginning of the all-out war.
Heat and electricity are central to the resilience of the people in Ukraine, especially with a view to the upcoming winter. That's why we're increasing our support for Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian government has committed to a reconstruction that will make the country more sustainable and bring it closer to the European Union, Schulze said.
About half of the new funds are to be used to protect energy infrastructure shortly before the onset of winter, to restore Ukraine's war-damaged energy system while promoting the use of energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources.
The other half of the newly announced package will support Ukrainian energy firms. Berlin will also expand a microfinance fund for loans to small and medium Ukrainian businesses.
Ukraine expects an additional 1.4 billion euros in new "winter package" aid from Germany, which will include strengthening air defense.
