Belgium has officially launched a recovery programme which will see the State invest €150 million in rebuilding Ukraine following Russia's invasion in 2022.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Minister of Development Cooperation Caroline Gennez, as well as Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shymhal, have signed a cooperation agreement today to mark the start of the programme.
From today, Belgian development agency Enabel will be allowed to operate on Ukrainian territory, and roll out a €150 million recovery programme over the next four years. For now, the recovery program will focus on rebuilding critical infrastructure and building bomb shelters in schools.
A first tranche of €20 million will go specifically to restoring energy supplies in Kyiv and the surrounding area, particularly to hospitals, before next winter. The aim is to build energy facilities that are decentralised and sustainable, to enable hospitals to provide services and care.
The Belgian Minister of Development noted that Ukraine's current energy infrastructure dates back to Soviet times, and is very outdated and centralised.
"A targeted attack by Russia on a power plant can immediately leave hundreds of thousands of people without hot water or electricity. This is why Belgium is investing in local energy solutions, such as generators for hospitals and schools, and in building sustainable energy sources such as solar panels. In this way, our country contributes to keeping the daily life of the Ukrainian population bearable, despite the war," the department said in a press release.
Minister Gennez said that the investment aims to help Ukrainians "persevere" and "show that we believe in their future".
“It is crucial to continue supporting the Ukrainian people, especially now that the Russian military is advancing again and attacks on civilian targets are becoming more frequent. Just look at the brutal attack on the children's hospital in Kyiv last week," she said.
"This is very much in line with Putin's strategy: using attacks on schools, hospitals and energy facilities to make life as difficult as possible for ordinary Ukrainians, so that they lose heart and eventually give up the fight. We cannot let this happen,” she added.
