Selenski estimates the cost of the repair work at 1.5 billion euros.
(Photo: Reuters)
Paris The people in Ukraine are to be helped over the winter with around one billion euros. These are donations and material resources, said French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna at a donor conference in Paris on Tuesday.
Five themes dominated the aid program discussed: water, food supply, energy, transport and health. The emergency aid should arrive before winter. In addition, the reconstruction of Ukraine was discussed, for which around 700 French companies are positioning themselves, for real estate, road construction, digital, energy or agriculture.
French President Emmanuel Macron opened the multinational conference and spoke of “war crimes” by the Russians, which would not go unpunished. The summit is about strengthening the resistance of Ukraine. France wants to better coordinate the humanitarian winter emergency aid for Ukraine and prepare the construction site for the reconstruction of the country.
A total of 46 countries and 24 international institutions took part in the conference, including representatives from EU countries, the USA, Canada, Turkey, Japan, India and Australia. China wasn’t there. Before the conference, various participants had already promised a total of 400 million euros in emergency aid by mid-March.
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A large part of the total emergency aid and donations promised, 415 million euros, is earmarked for the energy sector. 25 million for water, 38 million for food, 17 million for health, 22 million for transport. 493 million are not yet divided. The meeting was also about expanding the circle of supporters, Colonna explained.
“Generators as important as tanks”
Germany announced an additional 50 million euros in aid to the already announced 160 million euros. France has pledged an additional 76.5 million euros in humanitarian aid, on top of the 200 million that Paris had already pledged.
Selenski estimated the help his country needs at least 800 million euros, especially in the energy sector.
(Photo: Bloomberg)
Among other things, 63 more electrical generators are to be delivered, in addition to the 100 units that were already made available in November. The US earlier announced that the first batch of power generation facilities would be delivered to Ukraine to strengthen infrastructure. A US official said the first shipment was worth $13 million. Two more planeloads are scheduled to follow later this week.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was only shown in the video, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was there. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock were also present.
Von der Leyen stressed, “Russia is targeting civilian infrastructure to crush the resistance. It will not succeed.” Therefore, an additional effort is necessary to support Ukraine.
France wants to better coordinate emergency humanitarian aid for Ukraine in the winter and prepare the huge construction site for the country’s reconstruction.
(Photo: IMAGO/photothek)
Selenski put the aid his country needs for the winter at at least 800 million euros, mainly in the energy sector. Transformers, material to repair the high-voltage lines and gas turbines would be needed. Ukraine is primarily dependent on electricity imports from the EU. “Most of our power plants are damaged or destroyed by bombing.”
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He estimates the cost of the repair work at 1.5 billion euros. Every day, engineers have to take millions of Ukrainian apartments and houses off the grid. “That’s why generators have become as important as tanks to protect the population,” Zelensky said.
Shmyhal described how Russia is destroying Ukraine and attacking the energy sector to weaken the population. That’s why a quick reaction is necessary: ”What we need at the moment is help for millions of Ukrainians who continue to defend themselves.”
More: Read all current developments in the Ukraine war in the Newsblog