An international conference on meeting Ukraine's urgent needs was held in Paris on Tuesday, at which, according to the French foreign minister, a donation of approximately one billion euros (411 billion forints) was offered.
The host of the event, French President Emmanuel Macron, called on the international community to help Ukrainians "resist this winter" against Russian aggression.
After the Lugano, Warsaw and Berlin conferences of the past months, this meeting, attended by delegations from 70 countries and international organizations, including several heads of government, will be of a "practical" nature, Macron explained.
The Ukrainian president, who participated in the event via video link, said: Ukraine needs at least 800 million euros (about HUF 328 billion) in emergency aid to meet the needs of the population during the winter, especially in the energy sector.
"The aid even exceeded the 800 million dollars requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi (.). "I am happy to announce to you that we have exceeded this figure and are close to one billion euros," French Foreign Minister Cathérine Colonna said later at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denisz Smihal.
Of this one billion euros, 415 million will be spent on the energy sector, 25 million on water supply, 28 million on food, 17 million on healthcare, 22 million on transport, and the remaining nearly 493 euros have not yet been named.
"Our country will not fall into darkness," said Smihal, who expressed his joy at seeing the significant help provided by the "civilized world" to Ukraine. "We are very grateful to every country that remains our ally in these harsh times," added the Ukrainian Prime Minister, who again vowed that his country would regain its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The main purpose of the event was to neutralize the strategy used by Moscow since October, which focuses on attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Macron asserted: Russia, whose military weaknesses have been exposed, has chosen a cynical strategy in order to bring Ukraine to its knees. Repeating his previous statements, he believed that these Russian strikes are "war crimes" and "will not go unpunished".
Macron announced an additional 76.5 million euros in French aid to get through the winter, for the beginning of 2023 in the energy sector. This is on top of the 48.5 million euros already announced in May and currently being paid.
Source: Democrat
Image: MTI/EPA
