German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday that rebuilding Ukraine is a “generational task” that must begin immediately, even as the Russian invasion intensifies.
“What is at stake here is nothing less than creating a new Marshall Plan for the 21st century – a generational task that must begin now”said Scholz at the opening of an international reconstruction conference for Ukraine in Berlin, referring to the US plan for rebuilding European allies after World War II (1939-1945).
Scholz believes that rebuilding Ukraine will be a “challenge for generations” but also an opportunity to modernize the country’s infrastructure.
As such, this is “a task that will require the combined strength of the entire international community, but it will also be an opportunity for future generations,” Scholz added.
At the same event, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the extent of destruction in the war-torn country “shocking”, with the World Bank estimating damage costs at €350 billion ($345 billion dollars).
“This is certainly more than a country or a union can solve alone,” he said. “We need all hands on deck,” he emphasized.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also addressed the conference organized by the German government via video link.
Zelensky called on international supporters to cover his country’s €38 billion budget deficit by 2023, stressing that such aid was essential for Ukraine to get back on its feet.
“At the same conference, we must decide on aid to cover Ukraine’s budget deficit for next year,” he said.
“For Ukraine, it is a very significant amount,” he concluded.
Source: DN
