Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with business representatives in the United States to seek investments in his country’s energy industry, which has been targeted by Russian air raids
. Zelenskyy stated on X on Tuesday that “the primary focus was on preparing Ukraine’s energy system for the winter” as the country fears power interruptions.
Representatives from energy, financial, and insurance businesses attended the New York summit, as did Samantha Power, the head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and Richard Verma, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources.
Zelenskyy suggested specific incentives. “This is a proposition from us. It is one of the components of our victory strategy,” he stated in a video aired online.
The first significant wave of Russian air strikes struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The attacks have persisted throughout the war, but Moscow has significantly increased its effort since late March. Each round of strikes has left Ukrainian cities without power for hours at a time, lasting weeks.
Ukraine claims the targeting of its electricity system is a war crime, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for four Russian officials and military men for bombing civilian power.
Russia says power infrastructure is a legitimate military target and has dismissed the charges against its officials as irrelevant