By Angelo Amante
ROME (Reuters) -Participants in a Rome conference on the economic recovery of Ukraine have pledged over 10 billion euros ($11.7 billion) to help the war-torn country, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday.
The conference, attended by political leaders including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is taking place against a backdrop of further intense drone and missile attacks on Kyiv.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Zelenskiy described the attacks as “pure terrorism”.
Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cited the recovery of their countries from the ruins of World War Two as an example of what Ukraine could achieve.
“I think we should be proud of the result we have achieved together today – nations, international organizations, financial institutions, local authorities, the business sector, and civil society,” Meloni said in her opening speech at the conference.
“Together, at today’s conference, we have made commitments totaling over 10 billion euros,” she added.
The conference Italy is hosting is the fourth such event since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022, and is mainly aimed at mobilising international support for Ukraine.
The European Commission detailed 2.3 billion euros in support to Ukraine to help it rebuild.
“With 2.3 billion euros in agreements signed, we aim to unlock up to 10 billion euros in investments to rebuild homes, reopen hospitals, revive businesses, and secure energy,” von der Leyen said.
“We are literally taking a stake in Ukraine’s future,” she added.($1 = 0.8524 euros)
(Reporting by Angelo AmanteWriting by Keith WeirEditing by Gavin Jones)
