Ukraine declares looming energy emergency, EU details €90 billion aid plan - Wednesday brief
RBC-Ukraine collage
Ukraine is preparing to impose a state of emergency in its energy sector after Russian strikes severely damaged power and heating infrastructure. At the same time, the EU has unveiled a €90 billion loan package to help stabilize Ukraine’s economy and strengthen its defense.
For more details on what happened on Wednesday, January 14, see the report.
Ukraine to impose state of emergency in energy sector
Due to the severe consequences of Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, a decision will be made to impose a state of emergency in the energy sector, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's evening address.
Zelenskyy emphasized that the consequences of Russian strikes are severe, as are the deteriorating weather conditions. Repair crews, energy companies, rescuers, and municipal workers are all currently working around the clock to restore electricity and heating.
Witkoff and Kushner may travel to Moscow for talks with Putin - Bloomberg
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to visit Moscow in the near future for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to the agency's sources, the trip could take place as early as this month. However, the plans are not yet final, and the timing may change due to events in Iran, where large-scale unrest has been ongoing for more than two weeks.
EU unveils details of €90 billion loan for Ukraine
On January 14, the European Commission presented a plan to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan, which was agreed upon at a summit in mid-December. €30 billion will go to budget support and €60 billion to Ukraine's defense needs, according to the European Commission and President Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposal provides that the loan will be divided into two parts. One third, €30 billion, will go to budget support. The rest, €60 billion, will go to Ukraine's military needs.
US military evacuates base in Qatar, as it did before previous strikes on Iran – Media
The US has begun evacuating hundreds of soldiers from its largest airbase in the Middle East, Al-Udeid, located in Qatar.
An unnamed US official and another source told the outlet that personnel from the airbase are being relocated to other facilities and hotels in the region. The move is intended to protect them from potential threats if a possible US strike on Iran triggers retaliatory actions from Tehran.
Trump administration announces start of second stage of Gaza peace plan
The US announced the start of the second stage of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip. This involves moving toward demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction, according to US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff on (X).
He specified that as part of the second stage, a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza is being established – the National Committee for Gaza Administration (NCAG) – and full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza are beginning, including the disarmament of "unauthorized personnel."
