During the reception at Senningen Castle on Tuesday, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden expressed his appreciation for the “emotional and historic” visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, describing it as “a great honour.”
In their discussions, PM Frieden reiterated Luxembourg’s commitment to stand by Ukraine, pledging unwavering support from the Luxembourg government. He further emphasised Luxembourg’s participation, alongside other Benelux nations, in the Czech initiative to procure ammunition for Ukraine, with the Grand Duchy’s exact financial contribution yet to be finalised.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal acknowledged the importance of Luxembourg’s political, humanitarian, and financial endeavours. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian side is calling for the continued isolation of Russia by means of sanctions and for Moscow to be deprived of the funds used to finance the war in Ukraine.
According to preliminary data, over €6 billion worth of Russian funds are held in accounts in Luxembourg. The position of the Ukrainian government is that this money should be made available to Ukraine. This would be “fair, just, and responsible” in view of the “thousands of victims of Russian aggression and terrorism,” according to the Ukrainian Prime Minister. He emphasised the critical role these funds could play in supporting Ukraine’s ongoing efforts in reconstruction and resilience.
During the visit, a technical cooperation and financing agreement was signed between Prime Minister Shmyhal and Luxembourg’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Xavier Bettel. LuxDevelopment will become active in Ukraine in the coming months and the agreement serves to enshrine the status of the people who will be deployed within this framework. Bettel explained that the development initiative will have a focus on projects spanning education and facilitating employment opportunities for returning soldiers.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was also received at the Palace by Grand Duke Henri on Tuesday and engaged in further discussions with the President of the Chamber of Deputies Claude Wiseler, and the President of the European Investment Bank Nadia Calviño.
