On 23 January, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Mariana Betsa held a meeting with the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Matthias Schmale. The Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine Andrea De Domenico, also attended the meeting.

The meeting was initiated by the MFA to seek additional UN support to address the energy crisis caused by intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure during the winter period.

“We are sincerely grateful to the UN system in Ukraine for its strong support amid Russia’s armed aggression, which has now continued for nearly four years. During this extremely critical period, we call for additional measures to strengthen the Organization’s support and humanitarian response. For Ukraine, it is now critically important to receive the necessary energy-generating equipment and machinery, as well as to scale up assistance to the most vulnerable social groups,” emphasized Mariana Betsa.

The Deputy Minister informed the UN side about the devastating impact of Russia’s daily attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure in Ukraine, particularly on energy-generation facilities, on the humanitarian situation in the country, which is being compounded by severe winter cold.

She also conveyed a list of urgent needs in the energy sector and expressed hope for the continued active mobilization of the UN’s resources to provide assistance to Ukraine during this challenging period.

In turn, Matthias Schmale expressed support for the people of Ukraine and noted that he and the UN team, like millions of ordinary citizens, continue to work in Ukraine and directly experience the consequences of Russian attacks. He assured that restoring energy-generation capacities and supporting the civilian population, especially in frontline areas, remain key priorities of the UN’s work in Ukraine. Additional meetings with key partners are planned in the near future to scale up the Organization’s operational activities aimed at providing life-saving assistance to all Ukrainians in need.

Separately, the parties discussed further joint steps to ensure the effective implementation of the UN Humanitarian Response Plan for 2026, as well as other practical aspects of Ukraine’s cooperation with the UN.