Zelenskyy: European Commission to back Ukraine's energy recovery

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on the morning of 25 February that he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had discussed a strategy for significantly strengthening Ukraine's resilience.

"The European Commission will support the repair of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, help rebuild it, and reinforce the protection of the grid ahead of next winter," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Zelenskyy said this is one of the most critical outcomes of the meetings held on 24 February.

"This is one of the most significant outcomes of our meetings yesterday, and its importance cannot be overstated, especially given Russia's continued attempts to destroy normal life in Ukraine. Together we can ensure reliable power supply, decentralised generation, and restoration of damaged facilities to support our people," Zelenskyy wrote.

Von der Leyen earlier outlined a near-term support plan to strengthen Ukraine's energy resilience and announced that the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein format) will meet in March to focus on energy and coordinate efforts of Kyiv's partners.

During their visit to Kyiv on 24 February, leaders from the EU and its member states visited a thermal power plant damaged by Russian strikes.