Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGerman Economy Minister visits Kyiv to support Ukraine's energy needs amid Russian attacks, focusing on defense cooperation and EU financial aid.
By Kirsti Knolle and Maria Martinez
BERLIN (Reuters) -German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche arrived in Kyiv on Friday, highlighting Berlin's efforts to help Ukraine repair its energy infrastructure after recent Russian attacks severely damaged the power grid.
"Ukraine is facing its fourth winter at war, and right now Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy supply, massively endangering electricity and heat provision in the winter," Reiche said in Kyiv, where she arrived with a business delegation.
Reiche's visit comes as Ukraine faces mounting energy challenges, including prolonged outages at key facilities such as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Urgent assistance is needed for reconstruction and to safeguard the energy supply, Reiche said, pledging to explore on her trip how Germany can provide more concrete and better support in this area.
GERMANY SEEKS TO EXPAND DEFENCE COOPERATION WITH UKRAINE
Apart from preserving and rebuilding Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the focus of the trip will be on expanding German‑Ukrainian defence cooperation.
"Security policy is always also economic policy," Reiche said, adding that she aims to bring German and Ukrainian defence companies closer together.
Reiche's arrival coincides with a summit in London, where Ukraine's allies known as the "Coalition of the Willing" will discuss further military assistance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to attend the meeting and has urged European allies to provide long-range weapons after failing to secure a firm commitment from U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, EU leaders in Brussels agreed in principle to bankroll Ukraine for the next two years and discussed using frozen Russian assets to finance a 140 billion euro ($163 billion) loan.
Zelenskiy has called for a rapid decision, saying the funds would help strengthen Ukraine's defence and save lives.
(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle and Maria MartinezEditing by Miranda Murray)
Energy infrastructure refers to the physical systems and facilities that generate, transmit, and distribute energy, including power plants, transmission lines, and distribution networks.
Financial support refers to the provision of funds or resources to assist individuals, organizations, or countries in achieving specific goals or addressing challenges.
Energy supply refers to the provision and availability of energy resources, including electricity, gas, and renewable sources, to meet the needs of consumers and industries.
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