European and international solidarity with the Ukrainian people, after 70 days of war, suffering and destruction, was manifested at the international donors’ conference, co-organised on Thursday 5 May in Warsaw and online by Poland and Sweden in conjunction with the EU: more than €6.5 billion was pledged and all participants called on Russia to immediately stop its “brutal aggression”.
The aim of the conference was to raise additional funds to meet the growing humanitarian needs in Ukraine, provide liquidity to the government to finance the Ukrainian economy and start preparing the reconstruction of the country (see EUROPE 12942/16).
Announcing the result, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country had opted for full integration of refugees rather than refugee camps, and would continue to provide €3.5 billion in support until the end of the year. He went on to announce an additional 100 million in humanitarian aid.
The total of the announcements “exceeds our expectations, it is a strong message: we are by the side of the Ukrainians”, said Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, announcing an additional €23 million euros “for humanitarian partners”.
The UN humanitarian flash appeal, launched at the end of April, was for US$2.2 billion to cover needs until August (see EUROPE 12938/11).
40% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, said UN Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.
On behalf of the European Commission, its President, Ursula von der Leyen, announced €200 million in humanitarian aid for the 7.7 million displaced people in the country and pledged the EU’s “full support for reconstruction”.
She noted that the EU has already mobilised €4 billion euros in financial support from its budget for Ukraine and 3.5 billion for refugees in the Member States.
The Warsaw conference on Thursday laid the foundations for the Ukraine Solidarity Trust Fund, which EU leaders decided to create on 25 March (see EUROPE 12918/1, 12916/1), said European Council President Charles Michel, who saw the commitments made in Warsaw as “the starting point for a Marshall Plan”.
Beyond immediate humanitarian aid, “which is the number one priority”, Ukraine’s cash needs are estimated at €5 billion per month, according to the International Monetary Fund, Michel said.
“We will help to rebuild your country and your economy. Your homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses. This is not just a long-term theoretical vision. Reconstruction starts today”, he assured the Ukrainians, saying that funding would go hand in hand with reforms.
In a video message, President Volodymyr Zelensky, referring to a reconstruction plan in preparation, said: “We need a strategic international plan. It will be an investment in the stability of Central and Eastern Europe. It must be quick and sufficient for the millions of displaced to return”. He also called for his country’s “immediate accession” to the EU.
The humanitarian commitments of EU Member States include: - Austria: €41.96 million more, including 15 million in support for women and children; - Czech Republic: €18 million; - Hungary: 37 million
Romania, which hosts a logistics hub for delivering aid to Ukraine under the EU’s civil protection mechanism, has pledged €17 million for the Ukrainian economy. Finland plans to spend €70 million towards reconstruction.
The contributions of several countries, including Luxembourg, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Portugal, had been notified before the conference, the moderator said. A roundtable on the reconstruction of Ukraine was organised after the pledging session. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)