17.12.2025
On December 15, 2025, Yuriy Prodan, Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine (2007–2010) and Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine (2014), spoke at the Energy Club discussion.
The speaker outlined the problem of a systemic crisis in state governance and expressed his position regarding strengthening the vertical of responsibility in the energy sector under wartime conditions.
Key Takeaways
On the systemic governance crisis. Yuriy Prodan emphasized that the governance crisis exists “at all levels,” and the energy sector in wartime only highlights the problem. He noted that the ministry’s powers, in his opinion, are curtailed, and energy assets and decision-making are fragmented.
On the Vice Prime Minister (as a combined position). The speaker supported creating the position of Vice Prime Minister for Energy but emphasized: the effective solution is combining the posts of Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Energy to ensure both political weight and an administrative apparatus.
On operational decision-making in crisis situations. Yuriy Prodan stressed the need for an official who deals with energy “24/7,” has sufficient powers, and is capable of quickly identifying resources to respond to regional crises.
On communication with society. He drew attention to the growing gap between societal expectations and the system’s actual capabilities during attacks, emphasizing the need for realistic communication — without excessive promises.
On strategic planning. The speaker noted that forming a strategy “framework” is impossible without understanding the point of exit from the war and real resources. In his view, the first stage is ensuring the recovery of the economy and energy supply, while strategic concepts must rely on the realities of the post-war configuration.
“A Vice Prime Minister is needed for this… There must be a person who is responsible for everything with sufficiently broad powers.”
