"Germany said Thursday it would provide an extra €100 million to support energy infrastructure in Ukraine, despite a recent corruption scandal in the battered energy sector. The funds will be provided through Germany's KfW development bank and donated to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, the economy ministry said in a statement. The new cash will bring Germany's total contribution to the fund to €550 million by the end of 2025, the ministry said."
"But efforts to reinforce energy infrastructure have been complicated by a report in November that revealed sweeping corruption in the sector. President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered two ministers to resign over the corruption scheme and sanctioned a former business partner who was named as its mastermind. Germany has vowed to keep supporting Ukraine in spite of the scandal, though Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged the country to "energetically advance anti-corruption measures"."
"The economy ministry on Thursday said that "against the backdrop of recent investigations by Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities", the KfW would "continue to strictly monitor compliance with its regulations". "Russia is consistently and deliberately attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure in order to turn winter into another weapon," Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said in a statement. "We will not leave the Ukrainian people alone. Protecting energy supplies means protecting people - that is what this is all about.""
Germany will provide an additional €100 million through its KfW development bank to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, bringing total German contributions to €550 million by the end of 2025. Ukrainians face a severe winter after extensive Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. A November report exposed sweeping corruption in Ukraine's energy sector, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to force two ministers to resign and to sanction a named mastermind. Germany pledged continued support while urging stronger anti-corruption measures and said KfW will strictly monitor compliance. Economy Minister Katherina Reiche framed energy protection as essential to safeguarding people.
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