EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer visits Ukraine to bolster recovery and development efforts

• EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer makes first visit to Ukraine since becoming responsible for EU bank’s operations in country.
• New agreements with Ukraine to support energy decarbonisation and accelerate key investments to be sealed during 26-29 April visit.
• EU-backed infrastructure in Hostomel and Kovel to be inaugurated.

European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice-President Karl Nehammer will visit Ukraine over the next four days to advance cooperation on recovery, energy security and infrastructure development. The 26-29 April visit will cover the regions of Kyiv, Lviv and Volyn and include meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko.

Vice-President Nehammer, who became responsible in March for the EIB’s operations in Ukraine, will also confer with other members of the Ukrainian government alongside key ministry officials and international partners as the country pursues European Union membership. In addition, he will join international delegations at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to mark the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

“Ukraine is a top priority for the EIB,” Vice-President Nehammer said. “We support the country’s reconstruction and its path to the EU through concrete investments that strengthen infrastructure and resilience. This visit highlights our commitment to delivering results on the ground and working closely with our Ukrainian partners.”

During the visit, the EIB will advance cooperation with energy producer Centrenergo on a decarbonisation roadmap and with the Government of Ukraine on the “Ukraine FIRST” initiative to support the preparation of priority infrastructure investment projects.

In Lviv, the programme includes visits to EIB-supported healthcare sites such as Saint Luke Hospital, the Children’s Hospital and the UNBROKEN rehabilitation centre. Urban-transport projects are also part of the itinerary in Lviv, with a tram ride on EIB-financed rolling stock as well as meetings with local authorities and project partners.

In the town of Hostomel near the capital Kyiv, the programme includes the inauguration of a reconstructed primary school thanks to the EIB financing under its “Ukraine Recovery Programme”. In the city Kovel in the Volyn region, the delegation will inaugurate the first completed project under Ukraine’s “Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings Programme”, demonstrating improvements in energy performance and public infrastructure.

Since 2007, the EIB has been one of Ukraine’s key public investors, particularly in infrastructure. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EIB has significantly increased its support, providing more than €4 billion in financing for urgent needs and long-term recovery. 

For more information about the EIB Group activities in Ukraine visit:

https://www.eib.org/en/projects/topics/eib-solidarity-ukraine