Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2024) “United for defense. United for recovery. Stronger together” started on 11 June in Berlin. The event brought together leaders of governments, international organizations, representatives of civil society and business. This year the conference in Berlin is organized by Germany and Ukraine. The conference will take place on June 11 and 12 and will focus on four thematic areas, in particular on security issues, Ukraine’s accession to the EU, the role of business, human resources and local self-government bodies in the future reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as on the synergy of these areas.
The conference was opened by German and Ukrainian political leader who inspired the participants with motivational and meaningful speeches.
Olaf Scholz said that Germany is ready to fight for a joint victory and restoration of Ukraine and promised to supply weapons in the coming months. The German Federal Chancellor called on the participants of the conference to support the German initiative to strengthen Ukrainian air defense.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, outlined the consequences of the Russian invasion, recalling that approximately 80-100 guided bombs and missiles destroy peaceful Ukrainian towns and villages every day. In his speech, the President of Ukraine focused on four important points for Ukraine’s development.
Point 1. Security. The President of Ukraine thanked Germany for its help in closing Ukrainian sky and noted that Germany is one of the leaders in air defense. Volodymyr Zelenskyi also thanked the manufacturers of air defense systems in Germany, the Netherlands and other partner countries for air defense systems and promised that new air defense systems will soon be operational in Ukraine. He also noted that the rapid development of air defense and reliable closing of the sky will instill additional confidence that victory is near.
Point 2. Energy. Another problem is the purposeful destruction of the energy system in Ukraine. 9 GW of capacity has already been destroyed. 18 GW is what all of Ukraine needs in winter. That is, half of what Ukraine will need in the winter has been destroyed. To compare the size of the destruction of the energy system in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi cited the energy supply needs of Munich, which amount to 3 GW. The President of Ukraine noted that 80% of the thermal generation and a third of the hydropower generation have already been destroyed by the enemy. Therefore, Ukraine and our Western partners face a challenge to immediately start energy restoration: to preserve the existing generation and restore the destroyed one. We must do everything to deprive Putin of such a weapon as blackout, – noted the President of Ukraine. – Ukraine is currently a large market for equipment for the new energy base in Ukraine. There should be a quick and inexpensive restoration of all objects that can be restored before winter. We are asking for equipment from your shutdown power plants.
A decentralized, mobile system of green energy generation is our near future. It is in the field of hydrogen energy that Germany is a leader. We hope for hydrogen energy infrastructure with a capacity of 1 GW this year and another 4 GW in the next 2 years of hydrogen energy generation, Volodymyr Zelenskyi emphasized.
Point 3. Politics. The European Union is needed by all Europeans without exception. Every nation that shares EU values and wants to live in the EU has a chance to become part of the big European family. Ukraine has fulfilled all the prerequisites for the start of the negotiation process on joining the EU. June is an important month for Ukraine and the EU because a decision on the opening of the negotiation process must be made. The opening of the negotiation process will give us an understanding that the EU cannot be broken by intimidation of the Russian Federation, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
Point 4. Motivation. The President of Ukraine noted that in order to motivate German partners, Ukraine offered Germany specific solutions, business ideas, and specific practical projects. Ukraine offered to leave the conference not only with rhetoric, but also with specific signed agreements at the governmental level, at the level of communities, at the level of specific companies. “We will come out of this conference stronger: with the support of communities, educational projects, agreements in military production, energy. Ukraine will be able to realize its national recovery project. And such a recovery will be possible, including with the support of Germany as a state and Germany as a nation – honest, brave, valuable people.”
The speech of Ursula von der Leyen was also inspiring and she emphasized that Russia is fighting for the past. “Ukraine is fighting for the future. Russia must pay for all the destruction, for all the grief caused to Ukraine. Ukraine must be rebuilt. Ukraine is already carrying out all the reforms during the war. And it’s impressive. We believe that a decision to start membership negotiations will be made by the end of this month. Kharkiv is Europe, Ukraine is Europe and we are your home. Glory to Ukraine,” said Ursula von der Leyen.
Despite all the optimistic speeches and a number of important messages, we did not hear about the fact that recovery should be based on sustainable development principles, taking into account the principles of green reconstruction, integration of environmental and climate policy into all spheres. Without introducing the principles of sustainable development and integration of environmental policy into the discourse at a high political level, the reconstruction of Ukraine will never become green. Such a negative trend was born at the London conference and consolidated at the Berlin conference. We hope that this unfavorable tendency will be overcome by the efforts of experts of the Ukrainian nature protection movement.
