EU and G7 foreign ministers held informal meetings on 23 September in New York to discuss supporting Ukraine’s energy and military needs as winter approaches, Euroactiv reports. The talks, which took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, were also attended by Ukraine’s new Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell emphasized the urgent need for increased air defense support for Ukraine.
“It’s clear that Russia wants to put Ukraine into the dark and the cold – the winter is coming, and following Russia’s attacks against energy targets, Ukraine’s energy production capacity has been reduced by two-thirds,” Borrell told reporters in New York.
Western officials fear that Russian attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure will intensify in the coming weeks. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported on 21 September that Ukraine’s electricity supply shortfall could reach 6 gigawatts this winter.
Borrell stressed the importance of supporting Ukraine’s electricity production capacity alongside military assistance:
“We have to support Ukraine not only providing military capacity, but electricity production capacity – otherwise, this country will be facing a very hard time in winter,” he said.
In a separate meeting, G7 foreign ministers discussed the possibility of sending long-range missiles to Ukraine. While Borrell expressed support for dropping restrictions on their usage, he acknowledged that a consensus among Western allies on this issue remains elusive.
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