According to Serbian Economist, the Serbian city of Kragujevac organized a summer camp for 19 children from Zaporizhzhia, aged 13–16, who stayed at a children’s health resort in the city of Kopanik from August 1 to 10.
A sports, recreational, and cultural program was prepared for the Ukrainian children. They took part in walks and group activities, learned about Serbian traditions, and studied elements of Serbian folk dances alongside choreographers from the “Abrasevic” Center for Traditional Culture in Kragujevac.
The trip was part of a humanitarian initiative to organize recreational stays in Serbia for children from Ukrainian regions affected by the war.
Kragujevac is located in central Serbia and is one of the country’s largest industrial and university centers. Thanks to its location in central Serbia, the city has convenient connections to Belgrade, Kopaonik, and other tourist and business centers in the country.
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The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the allocation of EUR340,000 to help Ukrainians living near the front lines cope with damage to energy infrastructure caused by Russia’s ongoing attacks.
As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized, Estonia’s aid will help families heat their homes and prepare their livestock for winter, improve the thermal insulation of shelters for internally displaced persons, and purchase mobile emergency response centers for Ukrainian rescue workers. The aid will be delivered through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ long-standing humanitarian partners: the non-governmental organization Mondo, the Estonian Refugee Council, and the Estonian Rescue Association.
“Putin still hopes that attacks, cold, and darkness will break the Ukrainians’ resistance. We will not let that happen. As a result of Russia’s ongoing aggression, Ukrainians are facing yet another harsh wartime winter. With the onset of cold weather, people across the country will have to contend with power and heating outages and worry about how to keep their homes warm,” emphasized Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
“The situation is particularly difficult near the front lines, where the need for assistance is greatest due to the fighting. As Estonians, we know very well what a cold winter means. That is why we are directing our aid first and foremost to where it is needed most—to families trying to cope in their own homes, to people forced to flee their homes because of the war, and to rescue workers who come to the aid of others even in the most difficult circumstances,” added Tsahkna.
Estonia is providing the non-governmental organization Mondo with 160,000 euros to help shelters for internally displaced persons near the front lines in the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions prepare for winter. Thirteen shelters will be supplied with heating equipment and materials, and two of them will also undergo repairs and improvements to their thermal insulation. Thanks to Estonia’s support, approximately 860 internally displaced persons—primarily the elderly, people with disabilities, women, and children—will have warm housing this winter.
The Estonian Refugee Council will receive EUR160,000 to support families living near the front lines in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. The funding will help families heat their homes and cover the costs of maintaining livestock throughout the winter, as livestock farming is an important source of livelihood for many. The project is co-financed by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO).
The Estonian Rescue Association will receive EUR 20,000 to purchase equipment for two mobile emergency aid stations for rescuers from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES). The mobile emergency aid stations will provide people in crisis zones with a place where they can warm up, access electricity, and, if necessary, receive psychological support.
The European Union has transferred an additional 30 million euros to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, thereby increasing its total contribution to the fund to 279 million euros, according to Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal.
“The funds received through this financial instrument are helping us restore energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks, purchase urgently needed equipment for our energy companies, and ensure a reliable energy supply, first and foremost for critical infrastructure,” – Shmyhal was quoted as saying by the Ministry of Energy’s press service on its Telegram channel on Saturday.
According to The Serbian Economist, Serbia has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid totaling approximately 63 million euros since the start of the full-scale war, said Andon Sapundži, Serbia’s ambassador to Ukraine.
About 10 million euros of this amount was allocated to support Ukraine’s energy sector and restore damaged infrastructure.
Serbia also announced an additional contribution of 2 million euros as part of the UNDP’s “Green Energy for Ukraine” program.
The funds are planned to be used to install transformer equipment with a total capacity of 63 MW to meet the needs of Kryvyi Rih. The equipment is expected to be commissioned in early 2027.
According to the ambassador, Serbian companies are already exploring opportunities to participate in Ukrainian reconstruction projects. Areas of particular interest include energy, construction, the production of building materials, transportation infrastructure, and industrial cooperation.
He emphasized that Ukraine’s reconstruction should not be postponed until the end of the war, as some energy and infrastructure needs must be addressed immediately.
Serbian business participation in major projects is currently in the stage of assessing opportunities and seeking specific partnerships.
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According to “Serbian Economist”, Serbia has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid totaling approximately 63 million euros since the start of the full-scale war, said Andon Sapundži, Serbia’s ambassador to Ukraine.
About 10 million euros of this amount was allocated to support Ukraine’s energy sector and restore damaged infrastructure.
Serbia also announced an additional contribution of 2 million euros as part of the UNDP’s “Green Energy for Ukraine” program.
The funds are planned to be used to install transformer equipment with a total capacity of 63 MW to meet the needs of Kryvyi Rih. The equipment is expected to be commissioned in early 2027.
According to the ambassador, Serbian companies are already exploring opportunities to participate in Ukrainian reconstruction projects. Areas of particular interest include the energy sector, construction, the production of building materials, transportation infrastructure, and industrial cooperation.
He emphasized that Ukraine’s reconstruction should not be postponed until the end of the war, as some energy and infrastructure needs must be addressed immediately.
Serbian business participation in large-scale projects is currently in the stage of assessing opportunities and identifying specific partnerships.
The United Kingdom and France blocked a proposal for NATO member states to allocate 0.25% of their GDP to military aid for Ukraine, according to The Telegraph.
Earlier this week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged that his plan would not be implemented because it had not received sufficient support.
“I don’t think this proposal will be put to a vote,” he told reporters, without naming the opponents.
According to The Telegraph, the idea was blocked by the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada.
Rutte had hoped to secure approval for this proposal at the upcoming annual NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
This week, ministers began discussing what, in the opinion of the alliance’s civilian chief, should become a concrete manifestation of support for the war-torn country.
“An alliance insider reported that at least seven member states, which spend more than 0.25% of their GDP on military aid to Ukraine, have expressed their support. However, any proposals adopted by NATO require unanimous support from all member capitals,” the report states.
According to publicly available data compiled by the Kiel Institute, the Netherlands, Poland, as well as the Nordic and Baltic countries, provide aid at a level of 0.25% of GDP or higher. The size of the UK’s military contribution—the third largest after the US and Germany—is also uncontroversial, despite the fact that it does not reach the 0.25% of GDP mark.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to allocate at least £3 billion per year—approximately 0.1% of GDP—in the near future.
Most of the criticism is directed at countries such as France, Spain, Italy, and Canada, which have repeatedly been accused of not doing their part. These countries—three of which are Europe’s third, fourth, and fifth-largest economies—lag behind many of their smaller allies in terms of aid levels.
Rutte argues that aid to Ukraine “is not distributed evenly within NATO,” and that many countries “are not spending enough to support Ukraine.”
The NATO chief, who served as the Dutch prime minister for 14 years, has long argued that Europe must take on greater responsibility for supporting Ukraine, in response to Donald Trump’s complaints about the continent “freeloading.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office stated: “The UK continues to work with NATO allies on all proposals to ensure the best possible support for Ukraine from the alliance.”
Representatives from France, Italy, Spain, and Canada did not respond to The Telegraph’s requests for comment.
