European Commission chief ready to lead efforts to restore post-war Ukraine
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"We know that Ukraine is on the front line and defending our European values,” she said.
“We will continue to be by their side throughout this war and when they rebuild their country... We need to think about the day after [tomorrow] and the wider reconstruction efforts.”
She stressed that "the EU has a responsibility and a strategic interest" in leading efforts to rebuild Ukraine, and the bloc has already devised principles for reconstruction that should combine investment and reform.
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Von der Leyen clarified that in the future a plan will be approved, which will reflect the needs of Ukraine.
"The plan will tackle key reforms in areas, such as anti-corruption, administrative capacity, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary,” she explained.
“And, of course, it should be firmly anchored in the green and digital transitions and the fundamental European values.”
Von der Leyen added that the EU "should not and will not" be the only one who will make efforts to rebuild Ukraine.
In March, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said a plan was needed to restore Ukraine, involving Europe's richest countries.
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The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson also stated that an analog of the Marshall Plan for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine would be developed.
