Zelenskiy called for the Marshall Plan for his country. At the international donors conference held in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, for Ukraine, billions of dollars of additional resources were provided for humanitarian aid, support to the economy and contribution to post-war reconstruction.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who hosted the conference together with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, stated that a total of 6.5 billion dollars commitment was made from governments and business world for Ukraine’s urgent humanitarian needs, “This conference shows that the world is not indifferent to Russia’s ‘genocidal war’. showed,” he said. Morawiecki also pointed out that Ukraine needs more than 12 thousand tons of humanitarian aid every day, but the amount of aid that can be delivered per day remains at 3 thousand tons.
Swedish Prime Minister Andersson also stated that the amount collected at the conference exceeded expectations and said that the goal is to help Ukraine both now and in the future. “Ukraine will win the war and we will be with you,” Andersson said.
Marshall Plan submission
European Union (EU) Council President Charles Michel, referring to the plan created by the United States (USA) to support European economies after the Second World War, said that they hope the conference held today will constitute the starting point of a Marshall Plan for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who participated in the conference via video link, stated that the resources transferred to Ukraine reflect the spirit of the Marshall Plan, referring to Michel’s words, and noted that the resources transferred to Ukraine are an investment for the security of the entire region. Zelenskiy once again emphasized his country’s hope of becoming a member of the EU.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said “hundreds of billions of euros and reforms” are needed to rebuild Ukraine.
The European Commission and the European Council also supported the conference organized by Poland and Sweden. At the conference, which was attended by the representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, companies such as Google and Covid vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca were among the countries that made commitments to aid.
A 35 percent drop in GDP is expected.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects a 35 percent drop in Ukraine’s GDP in 2022 due to the Russian occupation. Ukraine has stated that it needs approximately 5 billion euros per month in the next 2-3 months in order to maintain the functioning of the government and important state institutions.
Another conference held in April for Ukrainian refugees had pledged 9.9 billion euros in aid. According to data from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 5.7 million Ukrainians have had to leave their country since Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24. It is estimated that the number of people who had to relocate within the country reached 7.7 million.
Zelensky launches online aid campaign
President of Ukraine Zelenskiy also called for global aid through his social media account.
Introducing the global campaign “United24” they started, Zelenskiy announced that the first stage of United24 is the online platform created to collect financial aid to Ukraine, and that other projects and programs will be added to the campaign in the near future.
Zelenskiy said, “You can donate from any country with one click. Together we will succeed.”
AP,dpa / UK,ET