Before being invaded by Russia, Ukraine relied on electricity imports from Russia and Belarus. The country now produces more than enough energy for its own needs because the industry is idle. President Selenskyj announces that surpluses will be passed on to the EU.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is offering the EU support with electricity from his country in the looming energy crisis. “We are preparing to increase our electricity exports to consumers in the European Union,” said the head of state in Kyiv in his evening video message.
“Our export not only allows us to earn foreign exchange, but also allows our partners to resist Russian energy pressure,” he said, referring to Russia’s significantly reduced gas supplies. Gas is also used to generate electricity. Russia’s energy giant Gazprom had reduced deliveries through the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 again on Wednesday due to alleged technical problems – this time to 20 percent of maximum capacity.
“Step by step, we are making Ukraine one of the guarantors of European energy security, precisely through our domestic electricity production,” said Zelenskyy. Before Russia invaded at the end of February, Ukraine had covered 50 percent of its energy needs from nuclear power. The country was also dependent on electricity imports from Russia and Belarus. Now a large part of the energy is not needed because production has come to a standstill because of the war, explained Zelenskyj. However, the Russian troops had recently captured the largest nuclear power plant in Enerhodar, a hydroelectric power plant on the Dnipro River and at least two coal-fired power plants.
“We will liberate our whole country with military, diplomatic and all other available tools,” Zelenskyy said in his video. Looking at the bridge over the Dnipro River in southern Kherson Oblast, which was bombed by Ukrainian forces, the head of state promised that everything would be rebuilt after the recapture.