On January 31, Marianna Fakhurdinova, Coordinator of the EU–Ukraine Partnership Program at the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, provided a comment to DW News on the worsening situation in Ukraine amid continued Russian strikes and freezing temperatures, and outlined what European and NATO partners should prioritize now to support Ukraine.
Fakhurdinova stressed that Ukraine’s energy workers are doing everything possible, but repeated strikes and low temperatures are pushing Kyiv to the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe. She also commented on expectations ahead of the next negotiation round: while both delegations appear to take the talks seriously, expectations within Ukrainian society and the expert community remain low.
Turning to immediate priorities, she emphasized that partner support must focus on basic needs — heat, water, and electricity. Ukraine has received around 700 generators, yet this remains insufficient and is only a temporary fix. The greatest need, she underscored, is air defense: Russia’s latest attacks were so effective because Ukraine did not have enough interceptor missiles, as they did not arrive in time.
Fakhurdinova highlighted that sustained assistance through PURL remains essential. Despite political debates in Europe, including tensions around Greenland, some capabilities cannot be manufactured by European partners on their own at the required scale. She also emphasized the need to strengthen sanctions and step up efforts to counter Russia’s shadow fleet, which helps finance the war.
Watch the full DW News segment via the Link.