At a reconstruction conference, EU Commission President von der Leyen and Chancellor Scholz want to lay the foundations for Ukraine’s future. There are said to be no concrete financing commitments – even if Kyiv is hoping for acute help to plug budget holes.
The reconstruction of Ukraine, which has been severely damaged by ongoing Russian attacks, is also intended to modernize the country. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this at a reconstruction conference in Berlin. Scholz announced that one would not only take care of the reconstruction, but also of investments in new areas. For example, Ukraine should become a supplier of green energy for the EU in the future.
Von der Leyen and Scholz described the reconstruction of Ukraine as an international tour de force. Such a Marshall Plan based on the model of the US reconstruction program for Germany and all of Europe after the Second World War is “a generational task that must be started now,” Scholz demanded. This will make the “strength of the entire international community necessary”. Von der Leyen warned that there was no time to waste.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was connected via video from Kyiv, explained that his country could in future replace Russia’s energy supplies to the EU and also supply electricity. Scholz emphasized that the meeting was not a donor conference. Rather, they want to discuss the structures for future aid. “The better the foundations are laid now, the greater the international aid will be in the years to come,” he said.
That is why they want to talk about transparency, good governance, the fight against corruption, decentralization and regional development, and investment promotion in Ukraine. Zelenskyy promised efforts and stressed that, in his view, Ukraine has already achieved EU member status. However, investments are definitely investments in a future member state of the European Union.
Von der Leyen said that Ukraine has monthly financial needs of around three to four billion euros to finance the budget and the salaries of state employees. She is working with the EU states to ensure that the European Union will provide 1.5 billion euros. Selenskyj demanded that a corresponding financing fund must be set up in the coming month. Von der Leyen offered that the EU Commission could set up the commissariat for the planned international reconstruction platform. This platform must be available by the end of the year.
Scholz combined the promise of permanent aid for Ukraine with sharp criticism of Russia. The Chancellor described the Russian attacks on the infrastructure in Ukraine as a new “low point” in the behavior of the Moscow leadership. Selenskyj accused Russia of deliberately wanting to inhibit the development of his country with targeted attacks, for example on the energy sector. Both stressed the need to protect Ukrainian cities against Russian missiles with better anti-aircraft defenses.
The Ukrainian President also called for a new mechanism with which the EU should freeze Russian assets in order to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government estimates the cost at $750 billion. An economic conference for private investments in Ukraine took place in Berlin on Monday.
Zelenskyj also used the reconstruction conference to ask for urgent help to cover the budget deficit of billions expected in the coming year. “It’s a lot of money, it’s about a deficit of $38 billion,” said the head of state. He hopes that the decision to provide financial aid will be made “today” in view of the budget deficit, Zelensky said. The money is needed, among other things, for salaries for doctors and teachers as well as for pensions and social benefits.
