Repair, Rebuild, Restart: EU leaders in Kyiv announce €920 million package to stabilise Ukraine’s energy system

The European Union will work on a new Winter Energy Plan for 2026-2027 to stabilise Ukraine’s energy system. The ‘Repair, Rebuild, Restart’ package of €920 million was announced in Kyiv by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at their meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

The package will secure the steady flow of electricity across the country and accelerate the decentralised production of renewable energy.

The visit marked the fourth anniversary of the Russian full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. It included a series of meetings, a commemorative memorial service and a Coalition of the Willing meeting. Top EU officials also visited an energy infrastructure site hit by Russian missiles.

At the meeting with Zelenskyy, von der Leyen also announced a new package of €100 million, available immediately. 

According to von der Leyen, the European Commission is the largest donor of energy support, to a value of €3 billion so far. Since the start of the war, the EU has provided over 11,000 generators, almost 1,000 were delivered in January alone. 

She added that European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen and Deputy Prime Minister Shmyhal would convene an ‘Energy Ramstein’ in March to ensure that Ukraine gets the exact supplies and material it needs.

Von der Leyen also spoke about the EU loan of €90 billion, put forward last year and called the ‘steel porcupine loan’ (meaning that Ukraine should become indigestible for potential invaders). 

“Let me be crystal clear – and the President of the Council also said it – the loan was agreed by 27 Heads of State and Government at the European Council. They have given their word. It cannot be broken. We will deliver on the loan one way or the other. Let me be very clear, we have different options, and we will use them,” von der Leyen said.

The European Commission President also said that the EU “will soon get” the 20th sanctions package: “Our sanctions will keep draining Russia’s revenues and weakening its war machine. And we are closely coordinating with our G7 partners for maximum scope and impact.”