G7 energy ministers discuss ways to support Ukraine’s energy security

Energy ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries have met with their counterpart from Ukraine to discuss options for assisting the latter in maintaining at least some degree of energy security amid the invasion by the Russian army. “The war unleashed by Vladimir Putin requires our solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” Germany’s energy minister Robert Habeck (Green Party) said. “This war on Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty is against international law but also a wake-up call for German and EU energy policy,” he said, reiterating that Europe must reduce its dependence on fossil fuel imports from Russia by means of an accelerated energy transition. In the digital meeting with G7 representatives, Ukraine’s energy minister German Galushchenko said that electricity and gas supply in large parts of his country is deteriorating quickly, with energy infrastructure being damaged by combat actions. Galushchenko appealed to the group to support Ukraine in securing access to energy. Every other country in the G7 also reported an impact on its energy supply situation due to Russia’s attack, with prices skyrocketing across international markets. The talks between the G7 and Ukraine therefore focused on support for the war-torn nation as well as on improving energy supply security for Europe and the G7 in general, the German climate and economy ministry (BMWK) said.

In a joint declaration, the G7 members announced their “clear commitment to solidarity with Ukraine” and “strong cooperation” to prevent supply shortages. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 10-point-plan for reducing dependence on Russian gas and oil would serve as a template, the ministry said, adding that the G7 ministers all agreed that efforts to combat global warming and achieve progress in decarbonisation should not be thwarted by the war. All ministers “stressed that an accelerated energy transition is the most important contribution to greater energy security.”