On Saturday, 14 February, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha took part in the ministerial meeting of the Group of Seven and Ukraine held on the margins of the 62nd Munich Security Conference.
The Foreign Minister briefed partners on Russia’s intensified terror against Ukraine’s civilian critical infrastructure amid severe frost. According to the Minister, as a result of enemy attacks, millions of people remain without electricity, heating, and water.
“If you compare two graphs - Russian strikes on the energy sector and temperature indicators - they are clearly synchronized. The drop in temperatures is accompanied by an increase in attacks. This is a deliberate strategy of Russia,” the Minister emphasized.
The head of Ukraine’s diplomatic service stated that every such Russian strike undermines diplomacy and peace efforts. According to him, Putin is unsuccessfully attempting to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people through these attacks, as Russia is failing to achieve its objectives on the battlefield.
“With sufficient air defence, the need for energy support would be significantly lower. We welcome the recent contributions by allies under the PURL programme, which covers 90 percent of Ukraine’s needs for air defence missiles. It is critically important to continue this funding. This year we require approximately 15 billion US dollars,” he noted.
Andrii Sybiha called on allies to increase pressure on the aggressor, including by introducing a complete ban on entry to Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan and other countries for participants in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine - military personnel, veterans, and members of their families.
The Minister stressed that every Russian who signs a contract to fight in the war must realize that by doing so they are also signing a ban on entry to these countries.
The Foreign Minister expressed particular gratitude to the United States and personally to Secretary of State Marco Rubio for active participation in peace efforts. Andrii Sybiha emphasized that only President Donald Trump has the power to end this war and stressed the importance of increasing pressure on Moscow.
“This includes strengthening sanctions pressure, strategic neutralization on the battlefield, and asymmetric actions aimed at maximizing Russia’s financial and military exhaustion,” he stated.
The Foreign Minister also recalled that the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster will be marked in April this year and stressed that Chornobyl remains a reminder of the cost of Moscow’s lies, measured in human lives.
“Unfortunately, Russian threats to nuclear safety continue. Exactly one year ago, a Russian drone damaged the New Safe Confinement at Chornobyl. This was not an accident, but a direct threat to safety,” the Minister said.
Andrii Sybiha also pointed to direct nuclear safety risks created by Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system. According to him, damage to the energy grid leads to shutdowns of nuclear power plants and emergency situations.
“Russian strikes pose a nuclear threat to the whole of Europe. That is why every missile and every air defence system provided to Ukraine today is a contribution to the security of all of Europe,” he stressed.
The Ukrainian diplomat also described the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a serious nuclear safety risk and called Russia’s attempts to connect the plant to its own energy grid illegal and dangerous.
Andrii Sybiha expressed deep gratitude to Ukraine’s allies for their comprehensive support, particularly for assistance in the energy sector during the winter, and thanked France for its presidency of the Group of Seven.
Photo: Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France