Kyiv
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Friday to discuss the European Union’s (EU) ongoing support for Ukraine. The talks will focus on Ukraine’s defense efforts and preparations for the upcoming winter and heating season, von der Leyen shared on social media platform X.
Key topics include Ukraine’s path towards EU membership and potential loans from the Group of Seven (G7), sources reported. This is von der Leyen’s eighth visit to Ukraine since the war began.
On Thursday, she announced an allocation of 160 million euros ($178 million) in energy aid to help Ukraine restore its damaged energy infrastructure. Ukraine requires 17 GW of power to survive the winter, with the new EU funds expected to restore around 2.5 GW, or 15%, of the energy supply before winter arrives, according to sources.
Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, warned that Ukrainians may face power outages lasting 4 to 18 hours daily during the cold months ahead.
