G7+ Energy Coordination Group meets in Gdańsk amid widening funding gaps

"We held the fourth meeting of the G7+ Energy Coordination Group, the so-called 'energy Ramstein,' in Gdańsk. Twenty countries, EU representatives, and six international organizations joined the discussion," Shmyhal wrote.

"Our priorities for 2026–2027 are aimed at simultaneously ensuring the resilience of the energy system amid the war and its full integration into the European energy space: protecting energy infrastructure, restoring damaged capacities, developing distributed generation, pumping gas into underground storage facilities, and developing cross-border interconnectors."

In 2026, partners contributed more than $339 million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. However, the total volume of unmet needs currently exceeds $695 million.

The largest portion falls on the restoration and repair of damaged energy facilities — $315 million. About $205 million is required for the development of distributed generation. Another nearly $158 million is needed to form an emergency reserve and purchase critically important equipment," Shmyhal emphasized.

"To get through the next winter, we need to additionally repair and restore over 3 GW of thermal generation. We are counting on the support and help of our partners."

"We are grateful to the countries that are ready to transfer and are already transferring equipment from decommissioned thermal power plants: Lithuania, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, and the Netherlands. Thank you to the European Commission, EU member states, and everyone who is helping for their support and contribution to the restoration of the Ukrainian energy sector," Shmyhal stressed.

On May 27, 2026, on the 10th anniversary of the Special Operations Forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the SOF North Separate Center the honorary title "named after the Heroes of the UPA."

On June 19, 2026, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped the Ukrainian president of Poland's highest state award — the Order of the White Eagle, which was presented in 2023. Nawrocki stated that awarding a Ukrainian military unit a name honoring the Heroes of the UPA "goes far beyond Ukraine's internal affairs."

On June 23, it was reported that Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko would head the Ukrainian delegation to the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk instead of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to avoid "unnecessary politicization" of the event.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi emphasized that the events in Gdańsk "do not require the mandatory personal presence" of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, because on the Polish side, "the focus is not on the foreign minister and the diplomatic component, but on the governmental, economic, security, infrastructure, humanitarian, business, and other dimensions to which the conference is dedicated."

"Our goal is to avoid unnecessary politicization of this international event, to focus on pragmatics and concrete decisions in support of Ukraine and Ukrainians," Tykhyi emphasized, thanking the Polish side "for the high-quality co-organization of the event."

He also confirmed that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is privately conducting "quiet diplomatic work" to resolve the crisis in relations with Poland and to "smooth over sharp corners and emotions." Separately, he urged against equating President Karol Nawrocki's position "with either the position of Poland as a whole or the position of Polish society."

In turn, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly called Zelenskyy's decision not to travel to Gdańsk a "gesture of de-escalating tension" in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw.