On Monday 14 March, on the 19th day of the war in Ukraine, Polish Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński called on the European Union to release “much more funding for EU member states hosting refugees”, starting with his country, which has taken in 1.8 million out of more than 2.5 million in two and a half weeks.
He was speaking to camera from the Ukrainian border crossing near Medyka, Poland, alongside EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen.
“Poland and other Member States are under enormous pressure, because this has an enormous cost, including the cost of integrating these refugees into our societies. We are very grateful to those who are helping us, but we are asking for more”, said the Polish minister.
Referring to the additional needs for schools, hospitals, health systems, psychological support “for refugees who have to find a new home”, he added: “we will need billions of euros”. He also pleaded for “the release of post-Covid funds, because now we are a much larger society and need much more capacity”.
With Poland threatened with being deprived of EU Recovery Fund resources under the Conditionality/Rule of Law Regulation (see EUROPE 12908/11), he implied that the hatchet between Europeans should be buried. According to him, “we are in a war situation. We have to put aside the small problems”.
Jutta Urpilainen thanked Poland for its “hospitality, solidarity, determination to do the right thing”, saying that this is “Europe at its best”, and that “Poland really does make us all so proud”.
In addition, the Commissioner said the Commission was in contact with partner countries around the world to compile data on their nationals who have not been able to leave Ukraine or who have reached the EU and wish to return to their home countries assuring them that “we will support them too”.
She guaranteed that the EU will continue to build international consensus against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to support Member States that help people in need - starting with Poland - reiterating that “we stand by Ukraine and the Ukrainian people”.
Ms Urpilainen also pointed out that nuclear safety projects in Ukraine, in which the EU has invested more than €1 billion since the Chernobyl accident, have had to be suspended, but that daily contacts were underway with partners to assess whether any of these activities could be safely restarted. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)