Germany's Merz visits Kyiv with business delegation; Shmyhal and Reiche discuss energy cooperation
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on 4 October, accompanied by Economics and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche and ten defence and energy executives. Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal met Reiche to discuss distributed generation, energy storage, grid modernisation, LNG supplies, and the Chornobyl shelter. Germany announced an additional 50 million euros for the New Safe Confinement and a broader support package worth over 1.3 billion euros.
Key points
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on 4 October for an unannounced visit.
- The delegation included Economics and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche and ten defence and energy sector executives.
- Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal met Reiche in Kyiv to discuss cooperation in distributed generation, storage, grid modernisation, gas infrastructure and protection of critical facilities.
- LNG supplies via German infrastructure and European companies' involvement with Ukrainian gas storage were also on the agenda.
- Germany has directed more than 557 million euros to the Energy Support Fund, with announced assistance expected to push the total above 800 million euros.
- Germany announced 50 million euros for restoration of the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
- Shmyhal invited German partners to the EBRD donor conference in Paris on 9 November; Germany's overall support package is valued at over 1.3 billion euros.
Why it matters
Germany is one of the largest financial contributors to Ukraine's energy resilience and to nuclear-safety efforts at Chornobyl. The meeting moved beyond declarations into concrete cooperation tracks — distributed and manoeuvring generation, storage, grid and gas infrastructure, and LNG routes — and tied those tracks to a planned donor conference and a multi-billion-euro support package. The Chornobyl allocation targets an internationally significant nuclear-safety site.
What happened
Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on 4 October for an unannounced visit, bringing Economics and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche and ten executives from German defence and energy companies. During the visit, Shmyhal met Reiche and the two ministers discussed distributed and manoeuvring generation, energy storage, modernisation of electrical networks and substations, gas infrastructure, and protection of critical facilities. They also discussed LNG supplies through German infrastructure and the participation of European companies in working with Ukrainian gas storage facilities. Shmyhal presented Ukraine's experience in building shelters for energy facilities and expressed readiness to cooperate on new technical solutions. Germany has already directed more than 557 million euros to the Energy Support Fund, with newly announced assistance expected to take the total above 800 million euros, and announced 50 million euros for the New Safe Confinement at Chornobyl. Shmyhal invited German partners to a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development donor conference in Paris on 9 November. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine and Germany are preparing a 'Drone Deal'. Germany's broader support package is valued at over 1.3 billion euros.
Background
The 4 October visit was unannounced and paired a high-level political meeting with a wider German business delegation, situating the Shmyhal–Reiche talks within a broader bilateral agenda. Ukraine is hosting a related European Bank for Reconstruction and Development donor conference in Paris on 9 November.