German Galushchenko at the IEA Ministerial Meeting: We need to step up three areas of opposition to russia in the energy sector

The Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko urged the Western countries to focus on three areas of countering russia in the energy sector. He said this during a speech at the ministerial meeting of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which took place today in Paris.

German Galushchenko stressed that the first direction of counteracting russian aggression should be to restore the security of nuclear facilities. The Energy Minister called on his counterparts to make every effort to force russia to withdraw its mercenaries from the Zaporizhia and Chernobyl nuclear power plants.

The international community must also stop funding russia's war against Western

societies and values, he added. The West should limit its dependence on russian oil, gas and coal, and ban the development of russia's gas infrastructure.

"Sanctions must be put in place, such as an oil embargo or a ban on russian CO2-containing products, so that the steps we take can help achieve the goals of the European Green Deal and decarbonisation," the Minister said.

"Third, it is extremely important to stabilize energy markets. We have various tools at hand: to open energy markets to other traders, to help the market rebuild, to introduce additional taxes on energy profits, to open oil reserves. In turn, Ukraine is ready to make its contribution by offering our underground gas storage facilities and surplus electricity production to stabilize prices, "said German Galushchenko.

"Green transformation, energy efficiency, decarbonisation of our economies are one of the key tools that can ensure that the war against Ukraine will be the last on this continent. We have done many impossible things in the past. I am sure that we will fulfill this as well, " German Galushchenko summed up.