Zelenskyy says EU will rush emergency funds to Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, November 9, that the European Union will use a special emergency assistance mechanism to get money to Ukraine quickly. He made the announcement after a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Russian strikes have disrupted electricity, water and heat supplies in cities across Ukraine. The two leaders also coordinated their positions ahead of U.S.-hosted trilateral peace talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi. Von der Leyen confirmed that the EU will send a team to those talks.aa.com.tr+1

Funding for energy needs

"There is a very difficult situation in many of our cities and communities with the supply of electricity, water and heat because of Russian strikes," Zelenskyy said in a Telegram statement. He named Kyiv, the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy and Donetsk regions, and Kherson as the worst affected. He said the mechanism will provide money "for what is needed most" and added, "Our teams are already working on this".aljazeera.com+1

On the same call, Zelenskyy and von der Leyen discussed more energy and humanitarian aid to prepare for winter, along with Ukraine's bid to join the EU. Zelenskyy pointed to the Commission's annual enlargement report, released last week, which gave Ukraine a positive assessment. "It is important to open all clusters and start closing chapters," he said.aa.com.tr

The call came after another night of attacks. Russian state news agencies reported that Russian forces hit three power substations across Ukraine. A Ukrainian drone attack set fire to Russia's Kirishi refinery in the Leningrad region, according to the regional governor.aljazeera.com

EU team heads to Abu Dhabi

"The EU will be present alongside our partners," von der Leyen said after the call. She added that "freedom of navigation in the Black Sea must be restored and preserved" and repeated her support for Zelenskyy's call for a ceasefire covering food and energy infrastructure.euronews.com

The talks are scheduled for November 10 and 11. They will be the first trilateral talks since February, when the war on Iran pulled Washington's attention away. A joint team from the Commission and the European Council will attend, led by Bjoern Seibert, von der Leyen's chief of cabinet, and Anna-Maria Boura, a senior adviser to Council President António Costa. France, Germany and the United Kingdom will also take part. It is still unclear whether European officials will meet the Russian delegation face to face, which has never happened in these talks.euronews.com

Rustem Umerov will lead Ukraine's delegation, and Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky will head Russia's. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will represent Washington. Europe's role has caused friction among member states. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote to Costa complaining of "disarray" in the diplomatic formats and asking for a special European envoy, and Costa agreed to raise the issue at this week's informal summit in Dublin.euronews.com

"We are doing everything to make the trilateral format bring results," Zelenskyy said.aa.com.tr