German Chancellor Olaf Scholz guaranteed this Tuesday that there will be “no military victory, no peace dictated” by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the war against Ukraine, at an international conference in Berlin in which Volodymyr Zelensky participated.
“Promoting this awareness is what is at stake at the peace summit taking place this weekend in Switzerland”, said Scholz, flanked by the Ukrainian President, adding that the allies will support Ukraine “during the as long as necessary.”
When opening the conference, Scholz urged the Western allies to reinforce Ukraine’s air defenses, which are extremely necessary in the face of Russian bombing.
“What the Ukrainian army currently needs most is ammunition and weapons, in particular for air defense”, said the German Chancellor, underlining that Berlin has decided to hand over to Ukraine a third air defense system. Patriot and Iris-TSLM anti-aircraft defense, tanks with Gepard anti-aircraft armament, missiles and artillery ammunition.
“Because the best reconstruction is the one that doesn’t have to be done at all”, underlined the social-democratic chancellor, remembering that the World Bank (WB) estimates that 500,000 million dollars (around 465,200 million euros]for the reconstruction of Ukraine over the next ten years.
“Given the dimensions we are talking about, private capital must participate,” said Scholz, stressing that the reconstruction of Ukraine can also benefit foreign companies investing in the country.
“Those who get involved at an early stage, who cultivate and expand their economic relations with Ukraine will be on the front line”, he stressed.
Zelensky arrived in Berlin today to participate in the third International Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and to meet with Scholz, with whom he will discuss strengthening air defense and the production of weapons.
“I arrived in Germany to participate in the Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and hold talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz,” Zelensky wrote on his X account.
Zelenski stated that, at the conference, which, in addition to Scholz, will be attended by several prime ministers, including that of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, Lithuania, Ingrida Simonyte, the Netherlands, Mark Rutte , and Belgium, Alexander de Croo, the main priority is to find “urgent solutions for the energy sector in the face of Russian air terror”, in reference to the attacks.
The two-day meeting will also be attended by several Ukrainian ministers, from the ministries of economy and finance to foreign affairs, as well as the presidents of the chambers of Kiev, Vitali Klitchko, from Kharkov, Igor Terekhov, and from Lviv, Andri Sadovi, and the President’s wife, Olena Zelenska.
Among the Western partners present were the heads of diplomacy of Italy, Antonio Tajani, of France, Stéphane Séjourné, of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski, and of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, as well as the special representative for the economic recovery of Ukraine, Penny Pritzker.
The President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Nadia Calviño, the Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile Renaud-Basso, also traveled to Berlin.
In total, more than 2,000 people from 60 countries, including politicians, businesspeople, civil society and municipalities, participate in the conference, which follows the one organized by Switzerland, in 2022, and by the United Kingdom, last year, and which will continue in 2025, in Italy.
The conference will also be the stage for a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Scholz, with whom they will discuss greater defense assistance, the strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense system and production joint weapons, according to the Ukrainian leader himself.
The two men will also coordinate their positions with a view to the Peace Summit, which will take place on the 15th and 16th in Switzerland, as well as the NATO Summit in Washington, in July .
After the meeting with Scholz, the Ukrainian head of state will also meet with the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, with the leader of the Lower House of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, and will visit It is a military base where Ukrainian soldiers are being trained.
