Informal Meeting of EU Energy Ministers Focuses on Energy Security and Support for Ukraine
On 13 May, Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas attended an informal meeting of EU energy ministers in Warsaw, Poland. The informal meeting focused on strengthening energy security and restoring Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and discussions were held on Ukraine’s and Moldova’s preparations for EU membership.
The transition to clean energy technologies and the availability of these technologies are part of the EU’s energy security.
“An important step in promoting the deployment of renewable energy sources is the RePowerEU plan, which aims to increase the EU’s strategic autonomy in the energy sector by reducing reliance on russian imports. We welcome the European Commission’s announcement of an ambitious and concrete plan to end remaining imports from russia by the end of 2027. By paying for energy resources from russia, the EU is de facto financing its war in Ukraine. Ending energy imports from russia is a crucial step towards energy independence and security in Europe,” Energy Minister Vaičiūnas noted.
russia’s aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally changed the EU’s approach to energy security: the EU has accelerated the diversification of energy sources, increased energy efficiency and expanded the deployment of clean technologies. During the discussion on the restoration of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the preparedness of Ukraine and Moldova for the winter of 2025–2026, Lithuania emphasised that it remains a strong supporter of Ukraine.
“Energy imports indirectly finance russia’s war on Ukraine. Three years ago, Lithuania de facto and de jure ceased importing energy from russia. We encourage other EU nations to do the same. The European Commission’s REPowerEU action plan lays out specific measures to do this. In the meantime, we will continue to make every effort to help Ukraine in the short term as it prepares for winter and in the longer term as it rebuilds a sustainable and resilient energy system integrated into the EU energy market once the war is over. We welcome Ukraine’s and Moldova’s resolve to diversify their energy sources, including the development of renewable energy sources, to restore, strengthen and protect their energy infrastructure. We are ready to support both countries on this path by offering not only equipment but also our professional expertise,” Minister Vaičiūnas said.
During his visit to Warsaw, Minister Vaičiūnas also met with Lars Aagaard, Minister for Energy and Climate of Denmark, which will take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July this year, German Galushchenko, Minister of Energy of Ukraine, and Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency. During the meeting with Fatih Birol, the Minister thanked the International Energy Agency for the resources allocated to addressing issues related to support for Ukraine and for reviewing Lithuania’s energy policy and capacity to respond to unforeseen situations. Lithuania was commended for its leadership in raising the issue of maintaining support for Ukraine and achieving energy independence. During the meeting with Danish Minister for Energy and Climate, Mr Aagaard, the programme for the upcoming six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU was discussed. The Minister highlighted the importance of issues such as EU funding for critical infrastructure protection and resilience in the negotiations on the new Multiannual Financial Framework, the draft of which should be presented during the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as the effective and timely implementation of the REPowerEU action plan. During the meeting with Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Mr Galushchenko, the situation in the country and support needs were discussed, particularly in preparation for the coming winter season. The Minister reaffirmed Lithuania’s strong support for Ukraine.
During the visit, at the invitation of Greece, a meeting of the Friends of Renewables group was also held to discuss measures to accelerate the development of renewable resources and reduce energy prices.