US helped Ukraine brace for energy war even before Russia invaded - CNN
The US helped protect Ukraine’s energy sector from Russian attacks (Photo: dtek.com)
The US helped Ukraine prepare for an energy war with Russia even before the full-scale invasion. In particular, the country’s power system was synchronized with the European network through a comprehensive set of measures, according to CNN.
Details of Ukraine’s preparations for a large-scale war were shared by Brett McGurk, a global policy analyst who held senior national security positions under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
According to him, the White House coordinated Ukraine’s preparations for Russia’s full-scale invasion. Amos Hochstein, the US State Department’s Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs under the Biden administration, oversaw these efforts.
In particular, Hochstein worked with many European allies, some of whom were skeptical and did not believe a full-scale Russian invasion was imminent.
The measures included ending Kyiv’s dependence on the Russian energy system, connecting Ukraine’s energy system to the European network, and simultaneously increasing energy supplies to Ukraine ahead of each winter.
“Ukraine’s disconnection from the Russian grid and connection to the EU grid was completed hours before Russia’s first missile salvos were launched against Ukrainian cities on February 24, 2022,” McGurk noted.
Additionally, as winter approached before the Russian invasion, the White House led coordinated US government efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s energy resilience.
McGurk noted that Washington and partner countries helped deploy mobile generators and backup power sources for Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, including water supply and heating systems.
Partners provided thermal kits and local heaters for vulnerable areas, as well as ensuring a stable supply of energy resources to Ukraine from the European energy system and from energy-secure partner countries in the Middle East.
After Donald Trump came to power, in March of this year, the White House ordered the suspension of funding for Ukraine’s energy support program, which had been implemented by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Experts believe that renewable (green) energy is a promising direction for Ukraine during the war. However, its development is hindered by the lack of effective incentives and accumulated debts.
