Source: Government of Canada News
Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine’s Integrated Energy System has endured relentless attacks that have destroyed vital infrastructure. Damaged and illegally seized power plants, hydroelectric stations, and nuclear facilities have resulted in a significant loss in power generating capacity. Over the past three years, Russia has inflicted increasing damage on Ukraine’s electricity, gas networks and production facilities, and renewable energy sources. This is consequential to Ukrainians’ basic needs, leaving, time and again, millions without heat, light, or access to essential services, with vulnerable populations disproportionally affected. These attacks also inflict significant environmental impacts on Ukraine, compounding the humanitarian impacts by polluting land, destroying ecosystems and threatening food and water security. There are also wider regional implications, notably on the Republic of Moldova’s energy security. These far-reaching impacts underline the importance of securing a just and lasting peace through negotiations.
As co-chairs of the G7+ Ukraine Energy Coordination Group, we, the Governments of Canada and the European Union, strongly maintain our position in condemning Russia’s continued, brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and commend the immense resilience of the Ukrainian people and economy. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence.
The co-chairs reaffirm an unwavering commitment to supporting emergency repairs, fast-tracking deployment of distributed generation, physical protection and scaling-up of renewable energy. These efforts are firmly rooted in the idea that an energy system that is more resilient to Russian attacks and guarantees Ukraine’s energy independence will necessarily entail maximising energy efficiency, along with a vast expansion of Ukraine’s renewable electricity generation. This is consistent with commitments made at COP28, as part of the Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement to transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner, tripling global renewable energy capacity, and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. These efforts align with the European Union (EU) Clean Energy Package, Ukraine’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), and others noted in the Annex, to advance broader energy transition principles aimed at achieving net-zero by 2050, in line with Ukraine’s EU accession path.
Since 2022, the G7+ Ukraine Energy Coordination Group has successfully mobilised over 7 billion USD in energy assistance. The Ukraine Energy Support Fund (UESF), operated by the Energy Community Secretariat (ECS), has emerged as an efficient and agile instrument in providing financial support, procuring and delivering necessary equipment, and stabilizing Ukraine’s energy sector since its creation in 2022. The UESF is backed by 1.16 billion EUR in pledges from 33 donors and is playing a vital role in restoring damaged infrastructure, deploying decentralized solutions, and ensuring winter preparedness. We acknowledge the ECS’s vital contribution to these efforts, including emergency aid, legal assistance, market monitoring and green recovery.
The estimated funding under the UESF needed to cover 2025 priorities in the energy sector – including critical winterisation efforts – amounts to approximately 630 million EUR. To ensure adequate preparation ahead of the winter season 2025/26, these funds are urgently required. We therefore call on the international community to join efforts in mobilising the necessary energy support and support Ukraine’s collaborations with international financial institutions. At the same time, we continue to support Ukraine with immediate energy purchase needs to ensure energy security through the approaching heating season.
The European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) is contributing to some of the most immediate needs in Ukraine’s energy sector and approximately 50% of offers under the UCPM are addressing energy-related needs. Offers have come from 33 countries, the EU’s rescEU reserves, and private and international donations. This energy assistance could support approximately 9 million people in Ukraine. However, a significant gap to cover restoration needs remains. As such, we call on the international community to increase its efforts at pace.
With recovery costs climbing over 500 billion USD over the next decade, private sector investment will be critical to rebuild Ukraine. We are encouraged to see more public-private dialogue, ongoing work to design effective mechanisms for de-risking of private capital and the continued alignment in regulations and standards, also in view of Ukraine’s future accession to the EU. We further welcome progress in strengthening governance and operational independence of state-owned energy enterprises (SOEs), in line with international best practices, which will be crucial for the energy sector’s financial sustainability, investor confidence, and EU integration.
Today, on July 11, at the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, hosted by Italy and Ukraine, the European Union and Canada reaffirm our steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine in establishing a resilient, decentralized and green energy system, aligned with European standards and climate neutrality objectives, and closely integrated with the EU. We underscore the concrete steps already taken, which include:
- Launch of the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) to support the country’s sustainable recovery during the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London;
- Reaffirmed commitment to support Ukraine’s energy sector during meetings at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin in 2024, at COP28 in Dubai and COP29 in Baku; and,
- Regular Foreign Ministers meetings of this Group, such as an in-person meeting at the margins of the UN General Assembly 2024.
We look forward to the discussion and announcement of additional contributions to Ukraine’s energy sector at the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference.
We further welcome Ukraine’s progress on reforms implementation which are contributing to clean energy transition targets, while fostering greater integration with the EU and ensuring compliance with the obligations under the Energy Community Treaty. In that regard, we urge Ukraine to adopt the Electricity Integration Package and NEURC independence law as a matter of utmost priority.
In a remarkable feat, Ukraine and Continental Europe successfully synchronised their power grids just weeks after the full-scale invasion began. It is paramount to continue on the path of EU reform to enable Ukraine to fully seize the benefits of the European energy market for security and import and export. Developing and extending the energy interconnectors between Ukraine and its neighbours remain essential for achieving these goals.
We acknowledge the efforts across international organizations to grass-roots efforts that ensured transparency of information and helped share the story of Ukraine’s bravery, challenges and opportunities in energy among world leaders and citizens of our countries. We are grateful for timely, insightful analysis from; EBRD, EIB, World Bank, IFC, UNDP, Dixi-Group, IEA, ECS and IAEA.
The co-chairs express gratitude to member countries and organizations for their contributions.
MIL OSI Canada News –
