Oleksii Kuleba during intergovernmental consultations in Berlin: Germany remains one of Ukraine’s key strategic partners in the recovery process
Intergovernmental consultations took place in Berlin with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. These are the first such consultations between the governments of Ukraine and Germany in over 20 years.
Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration, Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba participated in the consultations as part of the Ukrainian Government delegation.
During the consultations, he thanked the German Federal Government for its consistent, large-scale, and practical support for Ukraine, particularly in the areas of energy resilience, housing policy, community recovery, and transportation infrastructure.
“russian aggression inflicts massive losses on Ukraine every day. We have endured one of the most difficult heating seasons. The russians deliberately targeted the largest energy facilities when temperatures dropped to minus 25 degrees Celcius. We persevered thanks to our military, our energy workers, and the solidarity of our international partners. Your support was concrete and timely: generators, cogeneration units, and other equipment—all of this saved lives and allowed cities to function,” Oleksii Kuleba emphasized in his statement.
He also noted that following one of the most challenging heating seasons, Ukraine was transitioning from rapid response to systemic solutions in the field of energy resilience.
Specifically, this involves implementing national and community resilience plans developed using a down-top approach—from the local level to the national level.
“Decentralization of electricity generation, decentralization of the heating system, supporting solutions for water supply systems, and the construction of physical engineering protection for critical infrastructure facilities are key elements for ensuring the resilience of regions and communities. In this context, we highly appreciate the support of the German Federal Government, particularly through GIZ and KfW, which is already being implemented through practical projects in the field of energy efficiency and energy resilience of communities,” emphasized the Deputy Prime Minister.
Oleksii Kuleba stated that the housing sector remains one of the hardest hit by russian aggression. According to him, the Housing for IDPs project, implemented with German support, has become one of the most successful examples of Ukrainian-German financial cooperation.
Under this program, more than 1,600 families of internally displaced persons have already received housing, and the total amount of grant assistance from the German Federal Government amounts to EUR 42 million. In March 2026, a new phase of the program was launched, providing housing for at least 600 more IDP families.
The Minister also emphasized that Ukraine was systematically pursuing housing policy reforms, which include the development of social and rental housing, attracting investment, and the adoption of modern and energy-efficient construction models.
Since 2023, state housing assistance has already reached nearly 500,000 families. In particular, under the eVidnovlennia program, nearly 190,000 families have received compensation for damaged housing, and more than 50,000 for destroyed housing. At the end of 2025, the program was expanded to include a separate component for internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories.
“At the end of last year, the program was expanded to include a separate component for IDPs from temporarily occupied territories. It is expected to cover thousands of people as early as this year. Overall, housing support plans have already been formulated for over 100,000 citizens under various programs for 2026,” he added.
In his statement, Oleksii Kuleba specifically emphasized the development of energy efficiency, the modernization of heating systems, and the development of renewable energy.
Among the priorities for cooperation with Germany are green construction, the development of renewable energy and energy storage, and the strengthening of the Energy Efficiency Fund.
One example of such cooperation is the RES (Renewable Energy Solutions) program, which is being implemented thanks to a EUR 16.5 million grant from Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment and Ecology. As part of the program, solar panels are being installed in Ukraine for schools, kindergartens, and hospitals.
The speech devoted special attention to the transportation sector.
Oleksii Kuleba emphasized that uninterrupted logistics remains one of Ukraine’s key priorities. In this context, the Ukrainian side welcomed Germany’s accession to the Agreement on the Establishment of the Ukraine Transport Support Fund within the framework of the International Transport Forum.
According to RDNA5 estimates, direct losses to Ukraine’s transport sector already exceed USD 40 billion, requiring large-scale and systematic solutions for recovery.
Among the specific priorities is the resilience of the railway transport system, which faces enemy attacks on a daily basis. Ukraine also needs to modernize its rolling stock—specifically, freight and passenger electric locomotives—to ensure stable logistics for passengers and cargo.
“Today’s dialogue confirms our shared readiness to strengthen cooperation. We view Germany as one of the key strategic partners in this process,” concluded Oleksii Kuleba.
Background information
During the intergovernmental consultations, a joint Declaration was also adopted, stating that Ukraine and Germany are moving to a level of strategic partnership and agreeing to deepen cooperation in key areas. In particular, the Declaration establishes cooperation in infrastructure reconstruction, industrial development, and support for economic stability. This includes investments, joint projects, and Germany’s participation in Ukraine’s reconstruction.