Mykola Kalashnyk and the French President's Special Envoy define priorities for cooperation on Ukraine's recovery

Ukraine's Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport, Mykola Kalashnyk, together with First Deputy Minister Serhii Derkach and Deputy Minister Volodymyr Shemaiev, met with Muriel Lacoue-Labarthe, Special Envoy of the President of the French Republic for Ukraine’s Relief and Reconstruction, and Brice Roquefeuil, the newly appointed Ambassador of France to Ukraine.

The parties discussed key areas of bilateral cooperation, financing for priority infrastructure projects, and long-term support for Ukrainian communities.

"France is a reliable strategic partner in rebuilding our critical infrastructure, and we highly value both the practical assistance and involvement of French businesses, as well as the expanded support delivered through the Critical Infrastructure Support Fund. Our top priority now is ensuring the resilience of Ukrainian communities and implementing the Energy Resilience Plan through distributed generation, backup power, and stable water supply," said Mykola Kalashnyk.

The Minister commended the successful implementation of the first Ukraine Fund, worth approximately EUR 200 million, which has become a key tool for supporting the recovery of infrastructure and Ukrainian communities.

He also thanked France for additional financing under the Critical Infrastructure and Priority Sectors Support Fund, allocated to 14 selected projects covering bridge construction, water supply, railways, social housing, and energy.

The two sides paid particular attention to security challenges: daily Russian attacks continue to damage critical, port, rail, and road infrastructure, while strikes on international border crossings pose an additional threat. In response, participants addressed accelerating the delivery of part of the Alstom locomotive fleet, along with practical steps to strengthen regional energy and water infrastructure.

The Ministry also presented Ukraine's needs ahead of the heating season, including the rollout of community Energy Resilience Plans and the deployment of backup power sources and modular boiler units, given the scale of destruction to the energy and water supply sectors.

The parties reaffirmed their commitment to continued close coordination in support of Ukraine's effective reconstruction and sustainable development.