Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has named five priority areas of work with international partners to restore and develop Ukraine.
“The short-term need is clear, and our president has spoken about it, the German Chancellor and the President of the European Commission – support for our energy system, because winter is coming, and we have to survive it,” he said at the panel session “United in Defense. United in Renewal. Stronger Together” on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin on Tuesday, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
Speaking about long-term needs, Kuleba said they should not be postponed, and “there are five steps that need to be taken constantly.”
“The path to Ukraine’s recovery begins with air defense. Because the less destruction there is, the less there is to rebuild. So please follow Germany’s example and make every effort to deliver additional air defense systems to Ukraine as soon as possible,” he said.
The second step, according to the Minister, is investment. Kuleba urged businesses not to wait for the end of the war to invest in Ukraine.
“Start working now. Find a project. Look at the society. Look at the business you want to work with. Develop your business plans to be ready to invest at any time,” the Foreign Minister emphasized.
He named macro-financial assistance from the European Commission and partners as the third area, and Ukraine’s membership in the European Union as the fourth.
“This is a very effective tool for recovery,” Kuleba said.
The fifth step, according to the minister, is a decision to use Russia’s frozen assets in the interests of Ukraine, so that Russia pays for what it has done.
“We have to be ambitious. We have to be brave. We must find a solution to make Russia pay, pay in real life with real money. These are five ways to recovery. We are moving along each of them, but we need to do it faster,” Kuleba emphasized.
In addition, he called on foreign governments to invest in Ukraine and Ukrainian companies, as well as to introduce programs for their own businesses that will facilitate their work in Ukraine even during the war.
