Harris will engage EU Council on Ukrainian energy security proposals

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The Irish premier will ask the State-owned electricity company to see “what more we can do” to support Ukrainian energy security.

Simon Harris said he would contact ESB after he engaged with Ukraine’s deputy energy minister Mykola Kolisnyk at the Trypilska thermal power plant in southern Kyiv.

The key strategic plant, which supplied much of the power to the city, was destroyed by Russian bombing in April.

Energy security in Ukraine was emphasised by Volodymyr Zelensky after his bilateral engagement with the Taoiseach.

The Ukrainian president said: “It is really important we are together protecting lives, especially now we need it facing the winter when Russia goes on striking our energy infrastructure.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr Harris said: “The Ukrainians need more assistance – we’re here in a city where people are getting electricity for, on average, four hours a day.

“People are trying to schedule their lives into very small periods of time where they have light, where the lift in the apartment block will work – these sort of daily occurrences that people in countries not torn by war take for granted.”

At the thermal power plant, Mr Harris told Mr Kolisnyk of his surprise of the extent of energy scarcity in Ukraine.

Wearing a bright orange hard hat, the Irish premier walked along elevated gangways in the factory as workers began the arduous process of refurbishing it.

Overhead, workers were lowered through holes in the roof on platforms suspended by cranes to examine support structures.

Scraps of metal and other shrapnel were strewn across the giant factory site, where large pieces of equipment could be seen to be severely damage by fire or impacts.

Ladders abruptly stop while elsewhere there were holes in the concrete underfoot amid exposed pipes and other blast debris.

Mr Kolisnyk pleaded the urgent case for spare or decommissioned equipment from the EU’s coal plants as he thanked Mr Harris for Ireland’s previous support for farmers through agricultural equipment.

The deputy minister said food production was one of the main targets of “the enemy”.

Mr Harris acknowledged there would be costs around securing the equipment but said he would engage with the European council on the matter, and also talk to Mr Zelensky about more the EU can do.

He added: “We will do everything we can to support Ukraine.”

The Taoiseach said Ireland also provides expertise in the sector to Ukraine.