During Ukraine’s recovery conference in Switzerland on Monday, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Sjmyhal mentions the breathtaking sum, which corresponds to the Swedish state budget six times.
– We believe that the most important source of recovery should be the seized assets from Russia and Russian oligarchs, he says and continues:
– The Russian authorities unleashed this bloody war, they caused this massive destruction, and they should be held responsible for it.
In a video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasizes that the task of rebuilding the country rests on the shoulders of the entire democratic world.
During the conference, the focus is on presenting principles and priorities so that the reconstruction process can be started already during the war. But there are also those who question the value of discussing reconstruction before one can discern the end of the war.
Organizers and participants at the conference, however, highlight the need to lay the foundation for the reconstruction of the country in good time. An example is the successful Marshall Plan that contributed to Western Europe’s recovery after World War II.
Swiss Ambassador Simon Pidoux, who is in charge of the conference, says it is too early to assess all needs, but that a timetable for reconstruction is needed.
– I think the work will continue for several years, if not decades, he says during the conference.