Toronto/CMEDIA: Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced reportedly today at a meeting with the political network United for Ukraine that the Ontario government is donating $1 million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, an international effort to maintain and repair the country’s critical energy infrastructure.
With the conflict between Ukraine and Russia stretching into its fifth year and with the coming winter months expected to strain Ukraine’s fragile energy grid, this donation will support Ukrainians.
“As the people of Ukraine continue to defend their country against Russia’s illegal invasion and ongoing attacks, including on civilians, Ontario will always stand with those defending freedom and democracy,” said Premier Ford. “Ontario’s donation to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund will help Ukraine respond to Russian attacks and repair damage to vital infrastructure so the country can continue to defend their sovereignty today and for generations to come.”
Established to help stabilize Ukrainian electricity, heating and water services threatened by Russian attacks on critical energy infrastructure, the Ukraine Energy Support Fund under the direction of the Energy Community Secretariat based in Vienna, Austria, Ontario’s $1 million donation is the largest contribution to the fund to date from a Canadian province.
Ontario’s contribution, along with a significant contribution from the federal government, makes Canada one of the fund’s top international donors.
“Russia continues to systematically target Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure, seeking to use the coming winter as a weapon against the Ukrainian people. This will be the fifth winter since the start of Russia’s full-scale, brutal armed aggression in which Ukrainians face deliberate attacks on the energy infrastructure that keeps their homes warm, their lights on and essential services running…It will help Ukraine repair damaged energy infrastructure, restore essential services and strengthen the resilience of our energy system ahead of the winter months. On behalf of the Government of Ukraine, I extend our sincere gratitude to the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, and the Government of Ontario for this important contribution and for their steadfast solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” said Andrii Plakhotniuk, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada.
The Ontario government mandated in 2023, that learning about the tragedy of Ukraine’s Holodomor famine be made compulsory for all Ontario high school students to educate young people about the lives lost to the famine and on the dangers posed by extreme political ideologies.
