War in Ukraine: Paris conference participants pledge EUR 1 billion in winter aid to Ukraine

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Winter at war: Destroyed building in Borodyanka, Ukraine (photo from December 7)

Photo:Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

The international Ukraine conference in Paris has pledged aid worth a good one billion euros.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said the donations were in cash and in kind.

The aid should be provided from now until the end of winter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told conference attendees via video feed that he needed at least 800 million euros in urgent winter energy aid as Russian forces attacked civilian infrastructure across the country.

All power stations were damaged or destroyed by the Russians.

Millions of people are without electricity: "Imagine that for your countries." In this situation, quick help can prevent a massive wave of migration.

"Generators have become as important as armored vehicles and body armor," said Zelenskyy.

They allowed hospitals and businesses to continue operating and tents to be set up where people could warm up and charge their cell phones.

Germany pledges 50 million euros

At the beginning of the conference, the German government announced that it intended to provide Ukraine with a further 50 million euros in winter aid.

"Money alone does not protect against freezing and dying of thirst, and that is why concrete technical assistance is so important," said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock: "We not only need financial resources, we also need generators, transformers and cables.

These donations in kind are just as important,” she explained.

Most recently, Germany had already provided 160 million euros.

• You can find the latest news on the situation in the Ukraine war in our news blog

French President Emmanuel Macron had invited some 70 countries and institutions to discuss what can be provided to Ukraine from now until March to ensure the country's water, food, energy, medical aid and transport .

Macron stressed the determination of the international community to stand by the country.

"The immediate concern is to help the Ukrainian people through the winter," he said.

The aim is coordinated emergency aid in the areas of energy, transport, agriculture, water and health care.

Around 70 countries, international organizations and the European Union are taking part in the conference: »This is a sign that Ukraine is not alone.«

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the establishment of a coordination platform under EU direction, which should enable aid to be passed on quickly to Ukraine.

For this purpose, a transhipment warehouse is to be set up in Poland this week, from where relief supplies are to be transported to the corresponding regions in the Ukraine.

ptz/AFP/Reuters