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Germany & EU host conference on post-war reconstruction of Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen are holding an expert conference in Berlin on Tuesday to discuss the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

Berlin, hosting the event as the current G7 chair, said the conference would focus on discussing sustainable methods of reconstruction rather than financial pledges.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also scheduled to speak to the participants of the International Expert Conference on the Restoration, Reconstruction and Modernization of Ukraine via video call.

A long-term commitment

The event, which will be attended by experts, representatives of governments, international organizations and civil society, is aimed at discussing sustainable tools for Ukraine’s reconstruction rather than making financial commitments, Berlin said.

DW’s chief political correspondent said Scholz, as the current chairman of the rotating G7 presidency, called the meeting to send a signal to Kiev that the West is not only supporting Ukraine during the war, but is already thinking about rebuilding the country.

“They are not sending a signal to Ukraine [that] ‘we are helping you now, but our solidarity will soften over time.’ We stand by you for the next few decades, we want to bring you to the European Union.”

Scholz said the meeting should be a beacon of hope for Ukraine. “The point is that we are now sending a signal of hope, amidst the horror of war, that things are picking up again,” the chancellor said.

Von der Leyen and Scholz called for a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Ukraine, calling it “a generational task that must begin now.”

Tuesday’s event comes a day after the Ukrainian-German economic forum in Berlin, where Scholz appealed to Kyiv to further improve the framework conditions for investment.

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