European Commission chief visits Ukraine to mull aid

Kyiv, Sep 20 (IANS) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that she is in Kyiv to discuss the European Union's (EU) support for the country.

She will discuss with Ukrainian authorities issues on defence and preparations for the upcoming winter and heating season, von der Leyen said on social media X.

She said Ukraine's path toward EU accession and the possibility of securing loans from the Group of Seven will also be topics of discussion, Xinhua news agency reported.

The visit marks her eighth trip to Ukraine. On Thursday, von der Leyen announced an allocation of 160 million euros ($178 million) in energy assistance to help Ukraine repair damaged energy infrastructure.

Ukraine needs 17 GW of power to get through this winter, she said. According to the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper, the new EU funds aim to restore 2.5 GW or about 15 per cent of the country's energy supply ahead of winter.

Ukrainians will face power outages lasting between 4-18 hours a day, said Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.