1 trillion euros are needed to restore and rebuild Ukraine.
Andryus Kubilius, a member of the European Parliament, a Lithuanian politician, a member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, emphasized this during his visit to Chernihiv Oblast, which was organized by the team of the National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS”.
“According to European experts, 1 trillion euros may be required for recovery. It’s a lot of money, but I believe it will be paid for with frozen russian assets. There are almost 300 billion. However, I believe that both donors and Europe as a whole will invest their money and resources, and Ukraine will be rebuilt, modernized, and a full member of the EU by the end of this decade,” – Andryus Kubilius stated.
During the visit to Chernihiv Oblast, the member of the European Parliament, along with officials from the “ANTS” Network and local authorities, discussed the restoration of the destruction caused by russian troops during the occupation, as well as rocket assaults and bombings.
“What we saw and what people suffered and experienced in those occupied areas. Of course, recovery will necessitate significant financial investment. However it is clear that communities are doing a lot to help today by repairing housing and social infrastructure,” – he stated.
Andryus Kubilius highlighted that Ukraine needs help.
“Restoration must be completed rapidly, and Ukraine must be entirely rebuilt before people may return to their native homes. All of this is no longer happening with the largest funds. The finances required for a full recovery – a trillion euros – will arrive later. Yet, even now, everything must be done to ensure that recovery begins as soon as possible.”
He also underlined the importance of rebuilding infrastructure and industries to modernize and reach European standards:
“When we talk about the next decade, we emphasize three things that must happen at the same time:
Ukraine must integrate with the EU and accept all of the European Union’s rules of life.
Ukraine must be rebuilt with Europe’s help and in accordance with European rules.
Ukraine must modernize in order to receive reconstruction funds.
It is essential to use this opportunity to return Ukraine to a state that is ready to join the EU and abide by all of the new regulations.”
According to Kubilius, if negotiations on Ukraine’s EU membership begin in 2023, they can be completed by 2027.
“Today we are campaigning for the EU to start negotiations with Ukraine on membership already this year. This still has to be done. We recall our practice and experience: the EU accession negotiations with Lithuania took three years, and the negotiations with Poland took four. As a result, it is reasonable to expect that if negotiations begin at the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024, they will be completed by 2027. There is a good coincidence here, because Lithuania will hold the EU presidency in 2027, and possibly we will be able to complete the discussions. Then another year or two passes before all countries ratify the deal on Ukraine’s membership. Therefore, I think we will have time to do it by 2029, and Ukrainians will be able to participate in the next elections to the European Parliament in 2029,” – says the member of the European Parliament.
It’s worth mentioning that he emphasized that Ukraine defends not just its own borders, but also Europe.
“We are Lithuanians, and we live next to Ukraine, as well as the threat that authoritarian Russia poses to all of us. As a result, we fully realize that you are fighting a battle not only to protect your area, but also to safeguard all of us. Lithuanians have no qualms about the importance of assisting you all. The government assists, citizens assist… and we will continue to do so in the future.”
