The European Union Tuesday pledged a donation of 30 million LED lightbulbs and 800 generators to Ukraine despite the continent’s own severe energy crisis which already has the government mulling rationing electricity to citizens.
The pledge came after President Volodymir Zelenskyy demanded 50 million lightbulbs during an international aid conference in Paris Tuesday, saying they are "as necessary in Ukraine as armored vehicles and bulletproof vests." The former actor said the country is facing an energy crisis after Russia targeted its power grid with air strikes, costing Ukraine two-and-a-half gigawatts of power. The lightbulbs and generators would restore a gigawatt to the country, said Zelenskyy.
"In these times of suffering and darkness, it is so important to bring light to Ukraine," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said regarding Zelenskyy’s request.
The EU’s considerable donation comes after von der Leyen proposed rationing electricity in Europe to “flatten the curve.”
“If you look at the costs of electricity, there are peak demands,” said the EU Commission president in September. “And this is what is expensive, because, in these peak demands, the expensive gas comes into the market. So what we have to do is to flatten the curve and avoid the peak demands. We will propose a mandatory target for reducing electricity use at peak hours.”
Von der Leyen also proposed “a cap on the revenues of companies that are producing electricity” and a plan to re-distribute the wealth of profits from those companies.
“So, it is now time for the consumers to benefit from the low costs of low-carbon energy sources like, for example, the renewables. We will propose to re-channel these unexpected profits to the Member States so that the Member States can support the vulnerable households and vulnerable companies.”
The EU head further advocated for a gas price cap, which the European Central Bank warns may cause financial instability for the continent.
European citizens are also being told to expect power blackouts this winter.
Zelenskyy’s request comes as Ukraine is treated to a deluge of resources, topping the United States’ Afghanistan war expense in proportion. The US spent an estimated $2.313 trillion over 20 years to fight the war, which averages about $115.6 billion a year.
According to estimates from The Kiel Institute, Ukraine received at least €93.8 billion — or $100 billion — from 40 countries between January 24, 2022, and October 3, 2022. A recent €2 billion pledge from the EU and a request from Biden to award the country $37 billion brings the total to over $140 billion in less than a year.
