‘With brutal terror, Russia is leaving millions of Ukrainians in the cold and dark, destroying civilian homes and infrastructure, and forcing them to flee in search of safe shelter. The effects of Russian attacks extend beyond the borders of Ukraine, and are felt most acutely in Moldova, which has provided a temporary home for countless war refugees despite its own energy and economic challenges as a result of the war. This humanitarian aid package will help meet the basic needs of people who have lost almost everything as a result of the war. Lithuania will also contribute to the funding of the Grain from Ukraine initiative, which is joined by other Ukraine Partner States and the European Commission. The collective effort is aimed at countering another cynical Russia’s objective: to provoke a growing global food shortage by destroying and stealing Ukrainian grain stocks and blocking their export through Black Sea ports for a long time, while pointing at the West as an allegedly true culprit in terms of sanctions. The initiative will enable the delivery of grain to the most vulnerable regions in Africa and Asia, helping to protect people from food shortages, while the proceeds will go to Ukraine’s budget to provide for the basic survival needs,’ said the Prime Minister.
The humanitarian aid package includes EUR 2 million for the Grain from Ukraine initiative to contribute to the smooth supply of food from Ukraine to vulnerable regions in Africa and Asia. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė attended the international summit inaugurating the initiative by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on 26 November as part of her visit to Kyiv.
EUR 4 million from the package will be used to cover the costs of housing and subsistence of people made homeless and those internally displaced as a result of the war in Ukraine, also to rebuild Ukraine’s energy infrastructure targeted by Russian attacks.
EUR 2 million is hoped to help receiving war refugees in Moldova. Since the start of the Russian military invasion, Ukraine’s neighbour Moldova has been leading Europe in terms of admission of war refugees in proportion with the population number.
The Wednesday’s meeting has also approved the allocation of EUR 5 million to the Ministry of Finance to cover the costs of Lithuania’s participation in the activities of the World Bank’s Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund. The amount is to be provided from funds borrowed on behalf of the State.
This fund is intended to finance projects for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. The URTF will cover the preparation for the implementation of reconstruction projects (project planning and prioritisation, needs mapping, etc) and the implementation of most pressing projects at this stage (rehabilitation of essential energy, transport, social infrastructure).
