Ukraine on Wednesday called on Western countries to agree to 5.5 billion euros (5.4 billion francs) in new aid to rebuild the country over the next twelve months, saying it faces the biggest reconstruction project in Europe since World War II.
“We have set ambitious goals to ensure this amount during this conference,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Chymikal told a summit on the reconstruction of Ukraine in London.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmykal asked his allies for additional financial efforts at a summit on Ukraine’s reconstruction in London. [AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth – Keystone]
European and American aid
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled a broad aid package for Ukraine, including $3 billion (2.7 billion francs) in additional guarantees to unlock a World Bank loan.
The EU plans to provide an additional €50 billion in aid for 2024-2027. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has pledged $1.3 billion (1.17 billion francs).
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbach said Berlin will provide 381 million euros in humanitarian aid in 2023.
Huge expenses
Kyiv wants up to 40 billion dollars (36 billion francs) to finance the first part of a plan to rebuild its economy, a top Ukrainian representative indicated before the conference.
Estimates released last March by Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations put the cost of the war at $411 billion in the first year.
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