“Winter in Ukraine is very cold, and we will have no heating, no light, no electricity, no Internet connection, no water,” said the Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the Center for Civil Liberties, Oleksandra Matviichuk during the conferences on the country’s recovery.
The second and final day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, held in Berlin, concluded with the commitment of support Ukrainian critical infrastructure facing the cold winter.
During his speech and at a press conference with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz On the first day of the conference, the Ukrainian president Volodímir Zelenski He called on his Western counterparts to help Ukraine rebuild and decentralize its energy infrastructure.
Russia focuses on destroying Ukraine’s energy grid
Increasing Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy grids and power plants have forced the government to introduce blackouts in all major cities for several hours a day, and reports have been published warning that Ukrainians will be forced to freeze in winter due to lack of electricity.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the Center for Civil Liberties, Oleksandra Matviichuk, expressed his fear of the arrival of winter. “Really I don’t know how we will survive this winter. Winter in Ukraine is very cold, and we will not have heatingis luzis electricityno connection to Internetis aguaHe blamed the situation on the delay of air defense systems by Ukraine’s Western partners.
UN focused on covering Ukrainian winter
“The UN is already helping Ukraine prepare for winter,” he said. Achim Steiner, administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). “This includes systems of energy, electrical supply and possibly the installation of generators in schools to compensate for the lack of electricity.” UNDP, with the support of Japan and other international partners, has brought transformers to reconnect more than half a million ukrainians, thus addressing one of Ukraine’s biggest challenges due to the deliberate destruction of its energy infrastructure. Access to electricity is crucial for survival, especially during winter,” she added.
World Bank plans post-war recovery
The World Bank has committed at least $500 billion to help Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. Anna BjerdeChief Operating Officer of the World Bank, oversees international financial aid and advises Ukraine on post-war recovery.
Bjerde highlighted Ukraine’s significant potential in sources of renewable energy. “We have gathered information from Ukrainian companies about their challenges, which has helped us guide our policy discussions with the government and shape our financing strategies to effectively support these companies,” he explained.
“Renewable energy, highlighted at the conference, is a primary topic given Ukraine’s potential in this sector and the debates on the hydrogen. While addressing the immediate energy crisis is crucial heading into winter, we also recognize the long-term benefits of renewable energy development, especially for industries striving to decarbonize“concluded Bjerde.
More than 110 agreements signed
In the Recovery ConferenceUkraine has signed 110 agreements, contracts and memoranda international, which reflects the great global interest in investing in the country. The conference has led to commitments and aid worth more than €16 billion, including a €1.4 billion investment component under the Ukraine Facility, a package of energy assistance of 824 million US dollars and a Alliance for Resilience of SMEs in Ukraine worth 7 billion euros.
Additional agreements include more than 700 million euros for the program Skills Alliance35 million US dollars for the humanitarian demining560 million euros from 14 agreements with German and international partners, and more than 350 million US dollars in risk insurance agreements.
In addition, Germany has announced the delivery of other 68 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, After the 32 missiles already delivered in the last two days, as announced by the German Defense Minister, Boris Pistoriuson June 11 at a joint press conference with the Ukrainian President in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Preparation for the peace summit in Switzerland
The Ukraine Recovery Conference was held in Berlin a couple of days before the expected Peace Summit which will take place in Swiss on June 15 and 16. Russia was not invited.
At a joint press conference with the president Zelenski At the Ukraine Recovery Conference, the German Chancellor described the upcoming summit in Switzerland as “the next step, but not the last” and compared it to a plant that must be watered.
With the summit, Ukraine aims to gather support for President Zelensky’s ten-point peace plan, focusing on key points on the agenda even though not all of them are addressed. Furthermore, the event, with representatives from almost ninety countries and organizationsrepresents a crucial opportunity to demonstrate broad international support for Ukraine, even from non-Western nations, despite notable absences like that of China.
