The Kremlin seeks to destroy Ukraine: EU Commission
Demolished residential buildings in Irpin, Ukrainian.
photo: Serhii Nuzhnenko/Reuters
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In the wake of the battles in the Donbas, eastern Ukraine, the leaders of European countries met in Switzerland to draw up a road map for the reconstruction of the country after the devastation caused by the battles.
Meanwhile, during the Lugano conference on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused the Kremlin of destroying Ukraine politically, militarily, and economically.
She also added that the conference would set a map for the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities and the provision of funding, noting that the European Union will establish a platform for reconstruction and coordinate the rebuilding of the country.
She said the platform would map investment needs, coordinate work, and direct resources. She explained that the European Union had mobilized about 6.2 billion euros in financial support since the beginning of the war, pointing out that more would come.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the huge task that awaits Ukraine to recover from the devastation inflicted by the Russian army. In a video message, he said that rebuilding his country is the "common task of the whole democratic world," stressing that Ukraine's recovery serves world peace.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyal expected the cost of reconstruction to reach 750 billion dollars, stressing the need to use the confiscated Russian assets to pay the cost of the country's recovery.
"We believe that the main source of recovery should be the assets of Russia and the Russian oligarchs," he added.
The organizers of the two-day conference had hoped for Zelensky to come in person, but he only made a video intervention in this event, which brought together officials from allied countries of Kyiv and international institutions, as well as from the private sector.
It is noteworthy that the conference was scheduled long before the Russian military operation and would mainly discuss reforms in Ukraine, especially the fight against rampant corruption, but it was refocused on reconstruction.
The possibility of discussing reconstruction without any "end of war horizon" was raised, especially since some international estimates indicated the possibility of the conflict continuing for months after.
Robert Mardini, director general of the International Committee of the Cross, said that the reconstruction process must wait for the fighting to end, but it was vital to provide a "positive horizon for civilians."
Lugano, where the conference is held, is the third financial center in Switzerland and a major tourist destination frequented by many wealthy Russians, but it is not accustomed to hosting international diplomatic meetings.
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