23 October 2022, Sunday, 14:24 335

EU Preparing For Influx Of Ukrainian Refugees In Winter - Media

Редактор: Tetiana Herasimova

Russia's destruction of energy facilities in Ukraine raises fears that new refugees will go to the Europe in winter. The EU is stepping up preparations for their admission. This is stated in the material of the Financial Times.

By depriving Ukraine of electricity and heating, Russia is trying to provoke a new "wave of resettlement," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned at a summit of EU leaders on Friday night: "Russia's terrorist actions against our energy facilities are aimed at creating as many problems with electricity and heat for Ukraine this fall and winter, so that as many Ukrainians as possible move to your countries. This terrorist state has already worsened social conditions in your countries, but it wants to worsen them even more, provoking a wave of resettlement."

Massive shelling, which began on October 10, destroyed more than 30% of the power generation capacity, according to the Ukrainian authorities. As a result, Kyiv and other cities have to resort to fan power outages, in some areas of the capital there were interruptions in water supply.

Taking into account the new situation, the European Commission is adjusting anti-crisis migration policy measures, taking into account the possible aggravation of the situation near the eastern border of the bloc this winter, an EU official said. According to him, the EC is generally confident in its readiness for a possible influx of new refugees; also the Commission helps Ukraine take care of people who have lost a roof over their heads or electricity supply.

Before the summit began, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas warned of the risk of "very strong migration pressure on the EU."

"We must find a solution that will help Ukraine rebuild its infrastructure and protect it," Kallas said.

In order for Ukraine to do this, NATO countries must ensure the supply of the necessary air defense equipment, she added.

EU leaders intend to "intensify humanitarian assistance (to Ukraine - ed), in particular in preparation for winter," the draft document says following the summit, which ended on Friday.

Poland presented Brussels with a list of equipment agreed with Kyiv to repair power plants and infrastructure destroyed by Russia using Iranian kamikaze drones. It includes fuses, transformers, electrical cables, diesel generators.

A Polish official involved in negotiations with the EC said: "The priority for us today is to supply equipment to Ukraine. It badly needs it. Desperately. They don't have generators for hospitals. The situation is getting worse by the day."

The Commission already coordinates the charitable supply of electrical equipment by the countries of the bloc and hopes that private companies will join the process.

"But additional funds will be needed to quickly restore the destroyed infrastructure - more than EUR 17 billion," Zelenskyy told EU leaders.

Earlier, the EU promised Ukraine EUR 9 billion, but due to the prolonged coordination, only part of this money has been allocated so far. The EC is developing a plan that will provide in 2023 more sustainable financing up to EUR 18 billion.

6.036 million Ukrainian refugees returned to their homes, according to the latest report of the International Organization for Migration, including 22% of them from abroad (as of September 26). IDPs in Ukraine total 6.24 million, abroad - 7.65 million.