More than 1 billion euros have been allocated to Ukraine to get out of the winter
PARIS (Reuters) – An international solidarity conference in Paris on Tuesday pledged a total of 1.05 billion euros in short-term aid to help Ukraine weather the winter.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said at a press briefing at the end of the international solidarity conference with Ukraine that general “donations and donations in kind” will be mobilized between now and the end of winter. Fifty countries and twenty international organizations gathered in Paris in the morning.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a video conference at the opening of this conference that Ukraine needs at least 800 million euros of equipment and emergency aid for its population to spend the winter at a time when many energy infrastructures were destroyed as a result of Russian strikes.
“Shockproof vests have become a necessity in Ukraine as Russia tries to cut off the lights as the only way to protect ordinary people and Ukrainian society,” pleaded Vladimir Zelensky.
According to Yelise, in particular, 415 million euros will be allocated to the energy sector, 38 million to food, 25 million to water, 22 million to transport and 17 million to health, while 493 million euros are still being distributed.
The “Solidarity of the People of Ukraine” conference organized by the French President in agreement with his Ukrainian counterpart therefore achieved its goal, which was to “get out of this winter” and give a concrete response to Ukraine’s urgent needs. “Support the ability of the Ukrainian people to resist,” said Emmanuel Macron at the opening of the meeting.
With this in mind, France, for example, will quickly supply Ukraine with 63 new high-power generators and several transformers, which will add to the 100 generators delivered in November.
At the financial level, France’s assistance this year amounts to 200 million euros, including 48.5 million “these days” for the winter priorities set at this conference, Emmanuel Macron emphasized.
LEDs TO UPGRADE UKRAINE NETWORK
“In addition, we intend to add an exceptional contribution of 76.5 million euros to the electricity and energy sector for the purchase of LEDs under the initiative agreed with the European Union,” he added.
The European Commission will indeed mobilize 30 million euros, which will allow Ukraine to supply about 30 million LED lamps,” said the President of the European Executive Ursula von der Leyen at the conference.
“I hope that other partners will follow us,” the Commission chairman emphasized, explaining that energy savings corresponding to the installation of 50 million LED lamps in Ukrainian homes would be equivalent to one gigawatt of electricity. nuclear power plant.
“These energy savings are now important to reduce the pressure on the Ukrainian grid,” he added.
Ursula von der Leyen pleaded: “In these times of darkness and suffering, it is important to bring light to Ukraine – in the literal sense of the word.”
Ursula von der Leyen has provided 40 powerful generators from the emergency reserves of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which will provide uninterrupted power to 30 hospitals in Europe, as well as Ukraine, “to help Ukraine continue to function despite the Russian bombs”. They are in addition to the nearly 800 generators currently being shipped to Ukraine.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR ALSO WORKS
After this first working session organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday morning, a bilateral conference “For the strength and reconstruction of Ukraine” is organized in the afternoon in Bersidi, Ministry of Economy and Finance, with the participation of the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Denys Chmyhal.
Infrastructure, healthcare, agri-food, energy, technology: all vital sectors of Ukraine will be reviewed with the participation of half a thousand French and Ukrainian companies, to determine the needs of a country of 48 million people. the start of the war and the knocking on the door of the European Union.
Speaking at the opening of this second conference, Emmanuel Macron welcomed the mobilization of nearly 700 French and Ukrainian companies to help rebuild Ukraine.
“It is not only the political and financial support of states and international organizations that will make the reconstruction of Ukraine possible, no matter how big they are, but also companies will implement their technical achievements and their solutions in each of the main sectors. To help the economic recovery of Ukraine,” said the French head of state. “And that’s before the end of the war.”
“When every territory is liberated by the Ukrainian army, it is important to start reconstruction, restore vital services and start reconstruction,” Emmanuel Macron added.
This bilateral conference coincides with a time when the French head of state has recently become the object of criticism from some European allies and Ukraine itself for the way it approaches the Ukrainian crisis.
The French president’s words about the “security guarantees” to be given to Russia after the end of the war were especially targeted.
Elysee responded that these statements made on TF1 in early December were used “out of context” and recalled Paris’s support for Kiev, including at the military level.
Emmanuel Macron returned to the debate on Tuesday morning, saying that “it is up to Ukraine, the victim of this aggression, to decide on the terms of a just and lasting peace.”
In his opinion, the desire to continue the dialogue with Russia, which is necessary to create conditions for lasting peace, was also condemned. Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed his determination not to go unpunished for the “war crimes” committed by Russia.
“These strikes, which openly target the civilian population and infrastructure, which Russia openly admits are only aimed at undermining the resistance of the Ukrainian people, are war crimes that will not go unpunished.”
(Reporting by John Irish, Elizabeth Pineau and Michel Rose, Kate Entringer, Sophie Louet and Blandine Henault, with contributions by Myriam Rivet and Matthieu Protard)
