Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said helping his country recover from a Russian invasion is about unity, stability and democracy, as well as the potential for creating jobs and profits for countries all over the world, as he spoke Wednesday to the Ukraine Recovery Conference held in London.
"By building Ukraine, we are building much more than one country, we are building the world," Zelenskyy said in his video remarks. "Will it be peaceful? Will it be stable? Will it be democratic? It depends on each and every one of us."
Ukraine and Britain are co-hosting the two-day conference, bringing together leaders from 60 nations as well as officials from the private sector.
"The international community is coming together today with a shared belief and confidence in Ukraine’s future," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley told the conference.
Cleverley said it is in the interest of the world that Ukraine be stronger than ever and that "Ukrainians are planning for a better future."
Britain said specific areas of focus included technology, logistics, green energy, agriculture, health and infrastructure.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced $3 billion in World Bank loan guarantees as part of a new financial support package for Ukraine that will help support public services such as hospitals and schools.
"The question for us today is what can we do to support this – to fast-track recovery and help Ukraine unleash its potential," Sunak told the conference. "We must bring to bear a partnership of governments, international financial institutions, and business leaders, all of us here today, to make this happen."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the United States will provide Ukraine with $1.3 billion in additional aid. He said the funding would go toward overhauling Ukraine's energy grid, modernizing the country's border crossings, rail lines and ports, digitizing its customs systems and helping businesses and entrepreneurs.
"Recovery is about more than just ensuring people have what they need to survive –food to eat, water to drink, medicine to take, heat in the winter, electricity in all seasons," Blinken told the conference. "Recovery is about laying the foundation for Ukraine to thrive as a secure, independent country, fully integrated with Europe, connected to markets around the world. A democracy, rooted in the rule of law. A place where all Ukrainians have dignity, human rights, the opportunity to reach their full potential."
Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
