Ukraine and Finland launch Shelter Coalition
Ukraine and Finland signed a joint statement on launching the Shelter Coalition. The plan is to mobilize around €14 billion in resources for the development of shelters.
According to Censor.NET, citing Interfax-Ukraine, the agreement was signed on Wednesday in Kyiv by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
What is the Shelter Coalition?
"The key focus of today’s meeting is our partnership in building a nationwide civil protection network. Ukraine and Finland are launching the Shelter Coalition... We are setting clear goals: to coordinate partner efforts in shelter construction, to share best practices, and to develop and support financing mechanisms for building civil protection infrastructure," Shmyhal said during a press briefing following the signing.
He added that one of the funding tools could be established by the European Union under the Ukraine Facility program.
According to Shmyhal, Ukraine currently has over 62,000 shelters, but this is not enough. Many existing facilities also require modernization.
How many shelters are planned
According to Shmyhal, the government aims to construct 2,300 civil protection shelters by 2027, with an additional 3,000 to be built by 2030.
"This will require significant funding. Through the coalition’s efforts, we expect to mobilize around €14 billion for shelter development," the Prime Minister emphasized.
