Belgium and Ukraine Sign €150 Million Recovery Agreement to Restore Essential Services

Belgium announced a significant new aid package for Ukraine, committing €150 million to help the country rebuild critical infrastructure devastated by the ongoing war.

This latest contribution comes on the heels of a €185 million aid package pledged by Belgium in late 2023. The additional funding will specifically target the reconstruction of essential infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, power facilities, and roads.

The two nations signed a cooperation agreement, paving the way for the Belgian development agency Enabel to manage the program over the next four years.

The program prioritizes the restoration of vital infrastructure, with an initial €20 million allocated towards repairing energy facilities in Kyiv, particularly those crucial for hospitals as winter approaches. Additionally, plans include constructing more bomb shelters in schools across the country.

“It is crucial to continue supporting the Ukrainian people, especially now that the Russian army is advancing again and attacks on civilian targets are becoming more frequent again,” emphasized Belgian Development Cooperation Minister Caroline Gennez. She is scheduled to participate in the online signing ceremony alongside Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and his Ukrainian counterpart, Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal.

“Just look at the brutal attack on the children’s hospital in Kyiv last week,” she said. “That fits completely into Putin’s strategy: using attacks on schools, hospitals and energy facilities to make the lives of ordinary Ukrainian people as difficult as possible, so that they lose courage and eventually give up the fight. We must not let that happen,” Gennez stated.

“We are grateful to Belgium for its unwavering support of Ukraine in the struggle for our freedom, independence and European future,” said Shmyhal.