France committed to helping Ukraine get through winter — Macron’s representative / The New Voice of Ukraine

The French government is committed to helping Ukraine survive the coming winter despite the damage its energy infrastructure has sustained from Russian attacks.

Pierre Heilbronn, the French President's envoy to Ukraine for economic aid and recovery, made the corresponding statement on Sept. 27.

“France is already actively working in this sector,” Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform quoted Heilbronn.

“About a week and a half ago, I traveled to Kyiv with French companies to assess what they can do in terms of equipment, including gas turbines and energy storage solutions.”

He noted that French assistance includes both aid and direct investment in Ukraine’s energy sector.

Heilbronn added that France has provided generators and transformers as part of the aid, but there are also state-supported investment projects. A civil infrastructure fund has been created with an investment of EUR 200 million ($223 million), out of which at least EUR 60 million ($67 million) will be directed towards Ukraine’s energy sector by the end of 2024. These funds are intended for companies with at least 50% French capital.

Heilbronn noted that major companies participating in the recovery include Schneider Electric. The company partners with Ukrenergo (national power grid operator) and DTEK (largest privately held power utility company), providing equipment for repairing electrical grids.