An international donors conference in Warsaw, hosted jointly by Poland and Sweden, has raised over €7 billion for Ukraine, says Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Among the participants were heads of state and government, global businesses and financial institutions, and humanitarian bodies.
“Today shows that our support for Ukraine continues and there are no selfish ones among us,” said Morawiecki at the end of the event, alongside Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson. “Let’s make sure that this money reaches the Ukrainians as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“If selfishness had won, Putin would win,” he added, quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP). “If unity wins, Ukraine will win, and so will all of us.”
PM @MorawieckiM: We have raised over EUR 7 billion during today's conference. These funds will be donated to help #Ukraine and all those who support Ukraine. While Russia brings death, the countries of the free world must bring aid. pic.twitter.com/SJ1UcP0cB3
— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) May 5, 2022
Morawiecki said that, as well as their financial commitments, the donors had discussed how NGOs, private entities and societies more broadly could be mobilised to help support and rebuild Ukraine.
The event was organised in cooperation with the heads of the European Commission – which pledged €200 million for internally displaced people in Ukraine – and the European Council. During meetings with Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, Morawiecki discussed imposing tougher sanctions on Russia.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, also spoke remotely to the conference, repeating his previous calls for Ukraine to be allowed to join the EU “quickly”. “We are counting on not only promises, we expect concrete steps,” he said, quoted by PAP.
Poland has been the second largest donor to Ukraine since Russia's invasion, both in the total amount given and as a percent of GDP, according to @kielinstitute's Ukraine Support Tracker.
Via: https://t.co/u3tH488XRu pic.twitter.com/9FYbz6Xlql
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) April 19, 2022
“I am grateful to all the conference participants for being with us and fighting for freedom, for millions of Europeans – not only Ukrainians, but all those who may be threatened by tyranny,” Zelensky added.
Among the other pledges made at the conference were $23 million from Sweden and €5 million from Croatia.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who attended the conference in person, noted that Ukraine needs not only financial resources, but also weapons to defend itself with and sanctions against Russia “to prevent the aggressor from financing the war”, reports TVN24.
Main image credit: Krystian Maj/KPRM
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
