© Pedro Venâncio / RTL
A high-level Luxembourg delegation travelled to Kyiv on Wednesday to demonstrate ongoing political and financial support for Ukraine, with ministers pledging further aid and visiting bombed sites in the capital to underscore their solidarity.
A high-level Luxembourg delegation travelled to Kyiv on Wednesday for a one-day visit to reaffirm the country's ongoing support for Ukraine. The group – which included representatives from the Ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, the Directorate for Development Cooperation, as well as 11 journalists – made the journey overnight from Poland by night train, returning the same evening.
Since the beginning of the war, Luxembourg has provided nearly €1 billion in aid to Ukraine. "We have supported Ukraine from day one and will continue to do so for as long as they need us," Defence Minister Yuriko Backes stated during a joint press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart. "This is also in the interest of European security," she added.
During the visit, both Foreign Affairs Minister Xavier Bettel and Defence Minister Yuriko Backes announced additional financial commitments. The defense budget for Ukraine will be increased by €10 million in 2025: from €80 million to €90 million. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Development Cooperation will contribute another €10 million to support the rebuilding of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
An additional €1 million will be allocated to the Olena Zelenska Foundation, which provides assistance to children affected by the war.
In addition to high-level political meetings, Ukrainian authorities gave the Luxembourg delegation a firsthand look at the devastating consequences of the war – even in Kyiv, located some 300 kilometres from the front line.
Just a week earlier, on 24 April, Russian forces bombed a residential area in the capital. The attack killed nine people and injured more than 60. At the site, ministers Bettel and Backes lit candles in memory of the victims and spoke with volunteers already engaged in cleanup and reconstruction efforts.
The delegation also visited the a children's hospital in central Kyiv, which had been struck in a widely condemned attack on 8 July of last year. The hospital, located in central, remains badly damaged. Reconstruction work is now underway.
The visit concluded with a meeting between the Luxembourg ministers and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For security reasons, the press was not permitted to attend. Afterward, both ministers praised the resilience and courage of the Ukrainian people. Their presence on the ground, they emphasised, was not just symbolic: it demonstrated Luxembourg's commitment to stand with Ukraine, not only through financial aid, but through active, visible solidarity.
