Ukraine, Zelensky: “It rains bombs every day, we need Patriot systems”
“We need at least seven Patriot systems so we can protect our cities and towns from air attacks and so our people can continue to live normally“. So the Ukrainian president, Volodymr Zelensky, in his speech at the international conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine. “Air defense is truly the answer to everything and I would like to thank you, Olaf, for helping us, providing us with defense capabilities,” Zelensky said, addressing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“Every day it rains bombs on the heads of the Ukrainian people. We will witness destruction by missiles and drones until we are able to deprive Russia of the ability to terrorize”, continued the Ukrainian president, according to whom Russia “has no genuine interest in sitting at a table and negotiating peace, but we will not allow it to destroy people’s lives with its missiles.”
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, “use energy as a weapon – Zelensky continued during his speech – He wants to bring us to our knees by destroying our system of energy production.” Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure have destroyed half of its electricity production capacity, the Ukrainian president said. “As a result of attacks by Russian missiles and drones, nine gigawatts of capacity have already been destroyed. Peak electricity use last winter was 18 gigawatts. So half of it doesn’t exist now,” Zelensky explained.
Scholz: “There will be no Putin victory or imposed peace”
In his opening speech at the international conference, Chancellor Scholz underlined: “We are here in Berlin to continue working towards the reconstruction of a strong, free and European Ukraine, faithful to its principles. These are the preconditions for Putin to understand that there will be neither a military victory nor an imposed peace.” “We can say with certainty that Russia will not succeed with its imperialist attack,” Scholz stressed, adding that Putin “must put end his brutal military campaign and withdraw his troops.”
“What the Ukrainian army urgently needs today is ammunition and weapons especially for air defense and that is why we will provide Ukraine with a third Patriot air defense system” as well as guns and artillery shells. “All this will be provided in the coming weeks and months,” the German chancellor said. “We will continue to support Ukraine under attack for as long as necessary,” Scholz assured, underlining that “never before have relations between Ukraine and Germany been so close.”
“There World Bank calculates that in the next 10 years almost 500 billion dollars will be needed” for the reconstruction of Ukraine. “The day after tomorrow President Zelensky and I will meet again at the G7 in Puglia. I will speak out strongly in favor of broad-based and long-term commitments to support Ukraine,” the German Chancellor said.
Tajani announces new support package of 140 million euros
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, in his speech at the conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine in Berlin, announced a new support package for Ukraine from 140 million euros for urgent interventions on critical infrastructures, railways, health, the agri-food sector and the humanitarian sector, including mine clearance. The head of the Farnesina indicated that the package includes 45 million euros to support the reconstruction of Odessa and announced that a memorandum will be signed later with the Ukrainian government on patronage over Odessa.
The memorandum follows the assumption of patronage for the reconstruction of the city and region of Odessa that Tajani decided together with the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, on the occasion of his visit to Kiev on October 2, 2023. Tajani, addressing his Ukrainian counterpart , Dmytro Kuleba, said he “totally agreed” with him. “The first strategy for the reconstruction of Ukraine is to protect buildings and infrastructures through air defense systems. Italy is ready to send a new military aid package with Samp/T”.
Von der Leyen: “Start EU accession talks by the end of the month”
Putin”wants to crush the city” of Kharkiv “and his love of life and freedom. So Kharkiv and Ukraine need all our support. That’s what brings us here to Berlin. Putin must fail. Ukraine must prevail”, the words to Berlin of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
“In London last year I presented a new €50 billion facility for Ukraine, to provide predictable support until 2027. And Member States have supported it, also thanks to the tireless personal commitment of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The structure is supported by a solid reform and investment plan. It is now up and running. 6 billion euros have already arrived in Ukraine. And here in Berlin we are signing the first 1.4 billion euro agreements partner banks to attract investments in Ukraine from the private sector,” von der Leyen said. “And, as Olaf already said, we will also launch dedicated support for equity investments in Ukraine,” he added.
The plan for Ukraine includes, among other things, “reforms in the justice sector and against corruption, the basis for making Ukraine attractive for businesses and investors. And it is also bringing Ukraine closer to ours European Union. Ukraine has taken all the steps we had established. This is why we believe the EU must start accession negotiations with Ukraine by the end of this month”, underlined the President of the European Commission. . “President Zelensky, dear Volodymyr – she continued addressing the Ukrainian president – this is the first conference for the recovery of Ukraine that takes place within the European Union. And this is the place for your country. Kharkiv is Europe. Ukraine is Europe. And our Union is your home. And long live Europe”, he concluded.
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