Commissioner Gabriel further doubled down on the existing research links with Ukraine. In a March 3 statement, she said. “We are firmly committed to ensuring the continued successful participation of Ukraine and Ukrainian entities in the European Horizon and Euratom research and training programmes”.
Under the Horizon 2020 program, Russian projects have received 14.12 million euros under at least 139 grants. This includes the Kurchatov Institute, which receives at least 3.36 million euros for nuclear energy research.
The institute was first created in 1943 under the clandestine name of the “Second Laboratory”, where most of the existing Soviet-era nuclear reactors were created as part of efforts to build nuclear weapons.
The Russian-Ukrainian region is standing at a precarious crossroads. The future of the Ukrainian people now depends on military strategy, the actions of allies in other countries and the will of President Vladimir Putin.
Sanctions are a key part of the punitive measures being deployed around the world. While some experts have called for a boycott of Russian gas and oil, countries such as the United States and the European Union remain relatively dependent on this energy source. However, the withdrawal of science funding appears to be a unanimous certainty for EU policy-making bodies.
New funding contracts under Horizon Europe suspended
Horizon Europe, which replaces Horizon 2020, the original research and innovation funding strategy, will no longer provide funding for projects in Russia. Commissioner Gabriel confirmed there would be no new contracts “until further notice”.
However, Horizon 2020 is working on projects with at least 78 Russian agencies. The EU has decided to stop paying these existing grants, which it says have at least 12.6 million euros in EU contributions. These existing projects are in various stages of completion, and Horizon Europe funding is halted before any projects begin.
said Margaret Vestager, executive vice-president responsible for building a Europe fit for the digital age. “EU research cooperation is based on respect for the freedoms and rights that underpin excellence and innovation. Russia’s heinous military aggression against Ukraine is an attack on these values. It is therefore time to end our research cooperation with Russia.”