Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal calls for more support in the face of Russian missile strikes on power supplies. “We need two things to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe and a new big wave of refugees,” Schmyhal told newspapers of the German media group Funke.
“First of all, these are modern air and anti-missile defense systems that Western countries, including Germany, have at their disposal. The second concerns equipment and resources to restore damaged plants,” says Schmyhal. Russia has damaged about half of all power plants in Ukraine.
Study: Europe overtakes US in aid commitments for first time
According to a study, Europe has surpassed the United States in its financial aid to Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the war. EU countries, together with EU institutions, are providing nearly €52 billion in military, financial and humanitarian aid, according to a study published today by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW). The commitments assumed by the USA amount to almost 48 billion euros.
The main reason for the changes is a financial support package for Ukraine decided by the EU for 2023 and worth 18 billion euros. The United States did not again expand its large overall aid commitments. Some funds released by Congress have since expired and were unused when the 2022 fiscal year ended.