Weekly Update #160
March 24, 2025

Source: UNHCR collation of statistics made available by the authorities

Recommendations

• Governments, development and humanitarian actors take into account poverty levels when designing their support programs for Ukrainian refugees. The quality of day to day life, safety, and level of access to key services are directly tied to household income.

• Poverty measures account for differences in housing costs between refugees and host populations.

• A special focus is placed on supporting refugee employment at their skill level, including transition from current low-level jobs. The difference between refugee and local population wages could be an important metric to monitor on an ongoing basis.

Source: UNHCR

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Ukrainian Healthcare Professionals Learn Lifesaving Skills from U.S. Experts

MedGlobal recently provided a hands-on training program on Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) to 55 Ukrainian healthcare professionals. The training, held from March 15-20, 2025, at Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine in Kyiv, featured advanced emergency care skills that will enhance patient outcomes in critical situations in hospital and community settings.

Led by a team of experienced medical volunteers from the United States, the sessions focused on critical techniques such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), airway management, cardiac arrest response, and advanced resuscitation procedures.

This training is part of MedGlobal’s ongoing commitment to supporting and strengthening Ukraine’s healthcare system by providing high-quality medical education and practical experience in emergency care. By equipping healthcare professionals with advanced lifesaving techniques, MedGlobal aims to improve patient care and build sustainable medical capacity in regions affected by conflict.

About MedGlobal: MedGlobal, established in 2017, is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization committed to providing emergency response and health programs to communities in crisis. Founded by a diverse group of healthcare professionals and humanitarians, MedGlobal partners with local communities to address health priorities, build resilience through training and education, and deploys healthcare volunteers globally. Dedicated medical professionals from 27 countries work tirelessly to improve the lives of those affected by war, disasters, and other crises.

Source: MedGlobal

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Acted, the Estonian Refugee Council and Light of Hope meet Ukrainian’s urgent winter needs with the support of the EU

As temperatures in Ukraine drop below -10 °C, Acted, the Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) and local partner Light of Hope, remain committed to meeting the urgent winterisation needs of severely war-affected communities with the support of European Union Humanitarian Aid. Through Cash for Heating program, and in-kind assistance including solid fuel, winter kits and rapid thermal kits, Acted and ERC respond flexibly to winter needs, ensuring the safety, dignity and warmth of conflict-affected households.

"Keeping homes warm is not just about comfort—it’s about survival. As Ukraine faces another harsh winter under relentless attacks, the EU remains committed to helping people heat their homes. Our support will continue, for as long as Ukrainians need it." Marianna Franco, Head of the EU Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine

In severely war-affected areas of Ukraine, winterisation support remains a critical lifeline to ensure the safety, dignity and well-being of the most vulnerable, especially the elderly and persons with disabilities. 

As of February 2025, more than 3,900 households have benefitted from Cash for Heating delivered by Acted and ERC, with the support of EU Humanitarian Aid. In parallel, more than 1,300 households in frontline areas with limited market functionality have benefitted from in-kind winterisation support. In line with the localisation agenda in the Ukraine humanitarian response, Acted remains committed to supporting the role of local CSOs in delivering vital assistance. In this project, this has included the distribution of solid fuel to 134 households by Light of Hope in Izium raion of Kharkiv oblast.

While the winter in Ukraine is approaching its end, temperatures in February have dropped substantially, while power outages continue to impact the country, underscoring the necessity of winterisation assistance for the most vulnerable. Acted, ERC and local partners will continue to deliver assistance to the most vulnerable, with an emphasis on rural and isolated communities.

Source: ACTED

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Empowering Ukraine Through a Decentralised Electricity System

As Ukraine looks to rebuild its energy sector following a recent acceleration in attacks by Russia, pursuing a more decentralised electricity system would help ensure reliable access to power, heating and water for millions of Ukrainian citizens, according to a new IEA report.

Empowering Ukraine through a Decentralised Electricity System was published today and launched by an IEA delegation in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, with Deputy Energy Minister Roman Andarak and other key Ukrainian power system stakeholders. It finds that without urgent action, Ukraine faces the risk of prolonged power cuts throughout 2025 and even beyond. Following intensified attacks in the spring of 2024, about two thirds of the country’s dispatchable power generation capacity was occupied, damaged or destroyed, leading to rolling blackouts as well as unscheduled power outages. With peak demand this winter likely to reach 18.5 gigawatts (GW), creating a supply deficit of as much as 6 GW, these could continue through the coming months.

As a result, Ukraine must act now to meet its immediate power needs, while also planning for the years ahead, according to the report. It finds that a more decentralised system – with growing capacities of rooftop solar, wind, batteries and small modular gas turbines – could mitigate the impacts of the ongoing attacks and align Ukraine’s energy system with the government’s long-term goals for energy security and decarbonisation.

The analysis follows the publication in September of a special IEA report focused on Ukraine’s energy security and the coming winter. The report released today builds on this work by specifically outlining seven key actions to create a decentralised and modern power system in Ukraine by 2030. These include improving regulatory frameworks, reforming electricity markets and strengthening coordination at the transmission and distribution level.

The report finds that what are known as distributed energy resources can play a pivotal role in achieving Ukraine’s 2030 energy goals. Though there are many uncertainties, it could meet these objectives by adding 24 GW of solar, 11 GW of wind and 6 GW of energy storage capacity this decade while maintaining surviving generation assets, based on new IEA modelling.

Source: IEA

Diplomacy efforts for peace

US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg stated that US officials will conduct "shuttle diplomacy" to engage bilaterally with both Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Kellogg stated during an interview on March 20 that US technical teams will conduct "proximity talks," which Kellogg described as "shuttle diplomacy between rooms," in Riyadh with Ukrainian and Russian delegations.

 Sources familiar with the matter stated that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will not attend the upcoming discussions in Riyadh. Jacobs reported that US technical teams intend to meet with the Ukrainian delegation on March 23, the Russian delegation on March 24, and may meet with the Ukrainian delegation again later on March 24 if there is significant progress. Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministry representatives will also not participate in the Riyadh meetings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on March 21 that the Ukrainian delegation will present a list of Ukrainian facilities that the strikes moratorium should protect.  US and Russian officials previously stated that the March 24 Riyadh meeting will focus on achieving a temporary maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and laying the groundwork for a "full ceasefire.

Source: ISW (March 21, 2025)

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Reassurance, not peacekeeping: What Ukraine coalition force will and won't do

The potential Western troop deployment to Ukraine being discussed in London should be described as a "reassurance force" rather than a "peacekeeping force", defence and diplomatic sources say.

Currently dubbed the Multinational Force Ukraine or MFU, it would be sent to the country to cement any ceasefire and encourage long-term confidence in the country.

The focus would be on providing Ukraine with air cover to keep its skies safe and a naval presence in the Black Sea to encourage trade.

The deployment of so-called "boots on the ground" - probably about 20,000 strong - would in terms of size not be big enough to enforce any peace.

Instead, the troops - provided by a so-called "coalition of the willing" - would most likely be deployed to protect cities, ports and major energy infrastructure.

One option being considered is that the MFU might not operate in the east of Ukraine near the front line to try to reassure Russia it poses no offensive threat.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have said repeatedly they would not agree any ceasefire if European and other forces were deployed to Ukraine.

The sources say any multinational operation in Ukraine would not be a "peacekeeping force" and should not be described as such.

Peacekeeping forces - under the aegis of either the United Nations or Nato - traditionally are impartial, operate with the consent of both parties and use force only to defend themselves. The multinational force being discussed would very much be on Ukraine's side, there to help deter future Russian aggression.

At the moment, it is not expected that the multinational force on the ground would monitor any ceasefire. That would be done by Ukrainian troops on the frontline and Western surveillance assets in the air and space.

The sources also say the coalition troops would not be deployed to provide a so-called "tripwire force" - meaning a force smaller than that of the opponent, designed to deter an attack without triggering escalation - if Russia resumed its invasion of Ukraine.

They say the military impact of any allied deployment of about 20,000 troops would be limited compared to the number of troops on either side of the front line.

Ukraine has almost a million military personnel, Russia's army is even larger.

Much of the focus of Thursday's discussions is on how best any international force can provide Ukraine with assets it does not have, especially capability in the air.

So, there will be discussions about which countries can provide warplanes to keep Ukraine's skies safe during a ceasefire. There will also be discussions about how to make the Black Sea safe for shipping. That may involve two components: how best to keep shipping lanes clear of mines and what kind of naval task force could provide a security presence in the sea.

The key uncertainty is whether the United States would provide any air, satellite or intelligence cover for any European force on the ground. The US has thus far said it would not be willing to provide any military "backstop".

The European strategy for now is to stop asking the US and instead organise the best force and capability it can to ensure the security of Ukraine in the future. Once the details are agreed, then the UK, France and others would see if the European offer was substantial enough for the US to have a change of heart and agree to play some kind of role.

What all this planning depends on, of course, is some kind of ceasefire being agreed in Ukraine.  While the US remains optimistic, many in Ukraine remain skeptical that Russia even wants to end the fighting.

Source: BBC

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Crimea has been a battleground and a playground. Why it’s coveted by both Russia and Ukraine

Russia’s illegal seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine exactly 11 years ago on March 18, 2014, was quick and bloodless, but it sent Moscow’s relations with the West into a downward spiral unseen since the Cold War.

It also paved the way for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, during which Moscow annexed more land from the war-torn country.

Why is Crimea important?

Crimea’s unique location makes it a strategically important asset, and Russia has spent centuries fighting for it.

Crimea was home to Turkic-speaking Tatars when the Russian empire first annexed it in the 18th century. It briefly regained independence two centuries later before being swallowed by the Soviet Union.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred the peninsula from Russia to Ukraine in 1954, when both were part of the USSR, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the unification of Moscow and Kyiv. In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the peninsula became part of newly independent Ukraine.

Russia kept a foot in the door, however: Its Black Sea Fleet had a base in the city of Sevastopol, and Crimea — as part of Ukraine — continued to host it.

For Kyiv, Crimea had been a strategic asset, too. By the time Russia annexed it in 2014, it had been a part of Ukraine for 60 years and had become part of the country’s identity.

Leonid Kravchuk, the first president of independent Ukraine, said Kyiv had invested some $100 billion into the peninsula between 1991 and 2014.

From a security perspective, Ukraine needs Crimea in order to have control over activities in the Black Sea.

What role does Crimea play in Russia’s war in Ukraine?

In its assault on Ukraine, Moscow deployed troops and weapons to Crimea, allowing Russian forces to quickly seize large parts of southern Ukraine in the first weeks of the war.

A top Russian military official later said that securing a land corridor to Crimea by holding the occupied parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions was among the key goals of what the Kremlin insisted on calling its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Before the invasion, Zelenskyy focused on diplomatic efforts to get Crimea back, but after Russian troops rolled across the border, Kyiv started publicly contemplating retaking the peninsula by force.

The peninsula soon became a battleground, with Ukraine launching drone attacks and bombing it to try to dislodge Moscow’s hold on the territory.

The attacks targeted the Russian Black Sea Fleet there, as well as ammunition depots, air fields and Putin’s prized asset — the Kerch Bridge linking Crimea to Russia, which was struck in October 2022 and again in July 2023.

Source: AP News

EU solidarity with Ukraine - Factsheet, March 2025

€139.2 billion in overall support to Ukraine and Ukrainians including €1.5 billion from the proceeds of Russian immobilised assets

The EU stands united in its unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s war of aggression and its illegal attempts to annex Ukrainian territory.

The EU continues to work relentlessly with international partners to make sure Ukraine receives the material support it needs and to hold Russia accountable for its actions.

The EU has also offered temporary protection to over four million people fleeing the war and is committed to continue providing strong political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes.

The EU opened accession negotiations with Ukraine.

SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE’S ECONOMY

The EU has established a dedicated financing instrument of up to €50 billion to provide predictable and flexible support to Ukraine for the period 2024-2027 to support its recovery, reconstruction and modernisation, in line with its EU path. The Ukraine Facility is operational since 1 March 2024.

In 2024, a total amount of €16.5 billion of direct assistance to Ukraine has been provided and €16.4 billion disbursed so far. Additionally, as part of the Ukraine Investment Framework, the first €1.4 billion in grants and guarantee agreements were signed in June at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin to support Ukraine’s recovery and attract private sector investments; this will allow the beneficiary international financial institutions to provide support to financial intermediaries and final beneficiaries in Ukraine for an amount of €3.2 billion. It will notably focus on the repair, rehabilitation and development of energy and transport infrastructure, support municipalities, as well as enhance access to finance for SMEs.

Following up on the commitments by G7 leaders and based on a proposal by the Commission, the EU adopted a new financial assistance package to Ukraine. It consists of an exceptional macro-financial assistance (MFA) loan of up to approximately €18 billion and a loan cooperation mechanism that will support Ukraine in repaying loans provided by the EU and G7 partners for up to €45 billion. The loan cooperation mechanism is to be financed by extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilised Russian sovereign assets. €4 billion of this exceptional MFA has been disbursed so far.

In 2023, the EU budget enabled €19.5 billion in assistance to Ukraine, including an unprecedented support package of €18 billion in concessional loans.

This was on top of €11.6 billion provided in loans and grants in 2022. This support helped Ukraine keep paying wages and pensions, restore critical infrastructure that is destroyed by the war, maintain essential public services, such as hospitals, schools, and housing for relocated people, and ensure overall macroeconomic stability. As part of this assistance in 2023, the EU mobilised €1 billion for fast recovery, while guarantee agreements were signed with international financial institutions with potential capacity to unlock over €800 million in investments from the Ukrainian private sector for the recovery and reconstruction of the country’s economy.

Source: EC

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Albares takes Spain's support to Ukraine and announces 10 million euros more in humanitarian aid

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, travelled to Ukraine to assess the impact of the Russian aggression on Ukrainian territory and to reiterate Spain's support for the country's authorities, to whom he announced the delivery of an additional 10 million euros in humanitarian aid.

Albares, who returned to Ukraine on Tuesday 28 January for the third time since Putin started the war, began his trip in Lviv with an agenda that included political and diplomatic support for the Ukrainian government, humanitarian and reconstruction aid for the Ukrainian people, and protection of the country's heritage and culture.

Along these lines, Albares inaugurated a cultural centre created thanks to the Spain-UNESCO Trust Fund for Development Cooperation together with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, and the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. This centre, financed by AECID, was created with the aim of creating a space specifically dedicated to culture as a factor of peace and resilience in the war and post-war context in Ukraine, a country whose cultural productive fabric has lost 90% of its resources as a result of the war unleashed by the Russian invasion.

This centre adds to Spain's comprehensive commitment to Ukraine's recovery, which materialised today with a new announcement of 10 million euros in humanitarian aid from Spanish Cooperation, which is in addition to the 100 million that Spain has delivered to Ukraine since the war began. In addition to this humanitarian aid, there is also reconstruction aid, which has accumulated 400 million euros since the beginning of the Russian aggression.

Medical trainers

Spain's solidarity with Ukraine, over and above financial support, was also highlighted during Minister Albares' visit to the hospital in Lviv, where he announced that Spain will send a Spanish team of medical trainers to help the Ukrainian hospital staff with their training.

The meeting in Lviv with his Ukrainian counterpart allowed him to hold a bilateral in which they analysed the current situation together, and in which Albares reiterated Spain's support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. This support is reflected in the fulfilment of the bilateral military aid commitments with Ukraine agreed last year by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the delivery of military equipment and the training of Ukrainian military personnel in Spain within the framework of the European EUAM mission, with nearly 7,000 military personnel trained.

Accession to the EU

During the meeting with Sybiha, Albares also reiterated support for the process of accession to the European Union, which began during the Spanish presidency of the EU, after reminding him that Spain has always expressed its firm support for this accession. The minister was also very firm in insisting on continued support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, noting that no peace can be agreed for Ukraine without Ukraine, nor on European security without Europe.

Source: Govt. Spain

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EU Boosts Support for Independent Media in Ukraine with an Additional €10 Million

The European Union (EU) is increasing its support for independent media in Ukraine with a new €10 million funding package. An essential component of EU values is to uphold a vibrant independent media space, as a key cornerstone of democracy. Support to independent media is particularly important given the strength of the Russia hybrid and disinformation war. This new funding builds on more than €100 million the European Union has already invested in independent media since 2017. This significant funding highlights the EU’s long-term commitment to Ukrainian media, ensuring their continued ability to operate independently, produce high-quality journalism, and fight disinformation.

From the very first days and weeks of the Russian full-scale invasion, EU financing provided a lifeline for dozens of media outlets and brave journalists through emergency grants provided via its partner, the European Endowment of Democracy. EU has supported the establishment of journalists centre in Przemyśl, Poland, to serve as a workspace for media evacuated from Ukraine that were able to get the news on the Russian aggression to the world. Since the full scale invasion, the EU has supported independent media with around €37 million in grants.

 This initiative will provide grants to a range of media organisations that will in turn support individual independent journalists and media outlets through sub-grants:

• €3 million for Internews Europe to support media in war-affected regions and promote investigative journalism.

• €2 million to Reporters Without Borders, funding protection measures for at-risk journalists and supporting small media outlets.

• €1 million to the Institute for Mass Information for small and medium-sized media outlets.

• A further €1 million will be allocated to smaller-scale projects, such as the Black Sea Foundation and the Docudays festival.

Additional €3 million will be allocated through a new call for applications in May 2025. It will focus on strengthening local and regional media outlets and supporting investigative journalism in Ukraine.

Source: EC

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European allies continue military assistance

Ukraine's European allies continue efforts to provide Ukraine with military assistance and bolster Ukraine's defense industrial base (DIB). Ukrainian Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin announced on March 20 that an unspecified Ukrainian defense enterprise signed an agreement with Norwegian-Finnish ammunition manufacturer NAMMO to deepen bilateral defense industrial cooperation and create a joint venture for 155mm artillery shell production in Ukraine.  Deutsche Welle (DW) reported on March 21 that Germany's Bundestag Budget Committee and both houses of parliament approved an additional 3 billion euros (roughly $3.3 billion) in military aid for Ukraine, in addition to Germany's pledged amount of 4 billion euros (roughly $4.3 billion), for Ukraine in 2025 and 8.3 billion euros (roughly $8.9 billion) pledged from 2026 to 2029.

Source: ISW (March 21, 2025)

Malteser International distribute winter kits, i.e. heating material, blankets, thermos flasks and flashlights, through various local partner organizations. Malteser International has been supporting people in Ukraine since 2015. Initially with a focus on psychosocial services. (courtesy of Malteser International)