On September 22, a high-level event “Energy Resilience and Green Recovery of Ukraine” was held in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The event was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Opening the event, Minister Andrii Sybiha recalled the missile attack on Kharkiv CHPP-5 by Russian terrorists “with dark symbolism” on September 11 three years ago. In response to the Russians, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy then said the famous words: “Without light, but without you.”
“Russia’s energy terror cannot stop Ukraine’s fight for freedom. We have gone through three winter seasons and are preparing to go through another one – thanks to our soldiers, heroic engineers, and international support, including the support of many of you present in this room, for which we are very grateful,” the Minister said.
As of September 2025, the Ukraine Energy Support Fund has already received USD 1.5 billion from partner governments and private investors. Another 38 countries have donated 25,000 tons of humanitarian aid. In particular, the Minister emphasized the role of the United Nations Development Programme. Since February 2022, UNDP has accumulated more than USD 1 billion in energy assistance from member states.
Andrii Sybiha expressed his gratitude to all the governments and private investors who provide assistance: “Your support proves that light will overcome darkness.”
The Minister noted that Russian attacks have caused significant damage to the Ukrainian energy system. In response, Ukraine is focusing on more resilient decentralized energy – microgrids, mobile generation, storage systems, integration with the European power grid, and the development of renewable energy sources.
According to the Minister, further integration with the European energy system and the development of renewable energy are a guarantee of long-term security.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that Ukraine’s experience in managing the energy system under extreme conditions of Russian terror is unique, and that the Ukrainian side is ready to share it with its partners.
“The Russian war has proven that all energy issues are security issues – especially when Moscow deliberately turns them into weapons,” he said.
Andrii Sybiha cited examples such as nuclear blackmail at the Zaporizhzhia NPP occupied by Russians, profits from energy exports that enable warfare, the “shadow fleet” that threatens both security and the environment, and the high risk of new Russian cyberattacks on Europe’s critical infrastructure.
The Minister called on partners to continue sanctions against the Russian energy sector and to strengthen defense support for Ukraine.
“The best tools to restore our energy sector are air defense systems. Energy security requires additional air defense capabilities,” he said.
Speakers at the event included Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Danish Minister for Green Transition Jeppe Bruus Christensen, European Investment Bank Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle, and UN Under-Secretary-General Haoliang Xu, who is currently serving as Acting Administrator of UNDP.
Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Olha Yukhymchuk presented the state of the domestic energy sector, government principles of recovery, and key needs to the partners.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its gratitude to UNDP for jointly organizing this important event on the first day of the UNGA High-level Week. First of all, the MFA sincerely thanks the organization for its key role in the UN system’s response to the crisis caused by the Russian war.
For reference: The United Nations Development Programme and its partners are providing assistance to residents of the most war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine. Assistance is delivered through the State Emergency Service, local NGOs, the Ombudsman’s Office, local police, and municipalities.
UNDP is providing comprehensive support to the Ukrainian energy sector. It has accumulated support from member states worth a total of USD 1 billion. The assistance includes the transfer of equipment (including uninterruptible power supply units), training for staff, and advisory support to the government in implementing the principles of the “green transition” and renewable energy during reconstruction.
Other UNDP priorities include the repair and modernization of damaged educational facilities and multistorey buildings, demining training, support to local community economies (ranging from small grants to more than twenty thousand trainings for women-led businesses), assistance in the digitalization of public services (UNDP has helped more than 9 million people access electronic services on the national portal Diia and developed more than 30 e-services), support for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, including those affected by the war (in 2022, the Ombudsman’s regional network, with UNDP support, assisted 5,229 people), and assessments of the humanitarian consequences of the war.