Zelensky asks G-7 leaders to approve ‘Marshall Plan’ for Ukraine reconstruction
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) at the G-7 summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
PHOTO: X/@ZELENSKYYUA
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KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the leaders of the G-7 group of countries on June 13 to approve a “Marshall Plan” for Ukraine’s reconstruction after the damage caused by Russia’s invasion.
“We need a clear plan for the recovery of Ukraine. Similar to what the Marshall Plan was for Europe after the war,” he told the Group of Seven leaders, according to a read-out of his speech posted on the presidential website.
The Marshall Plan was a multibillion-dollar programme of economic aid delivered by the United States to its European allies after World War II, and is credited for revitalising those economies after the conflict’s devastation.
The World Bank has estimated that rebuilding Ukraine will cost nearly US$500 billion (S$676 billion).
The full-scale war started nearly 28 months ago, when Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine and shows no signs of ending soon, with Russia making slight territorial gains in 2024.
Mr Zelensky also said that the recent lifting of restrictions on the use of Western weapons on targets inside Russia had given Ukraine added protection from air strikes, particularly in the eastern city of Kharkiv.
“However, we are still in search of additional Patriot (air defence systems) and we need more of the same powerful steps that were taken (to enhance) our long-range strike capabilities,” he said. REUTERS
