Today at 17:21
On the opening day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland, today, June 25, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced that the flagship investment fund supported by the EU, Poland, France, Germany, and Italy is fully operational. This was reported from Gdańsk by FREEДОМ correspondent Oleh Borysov, UATV English informs.
“A high-level meeting of participants has already taken place, with leaders of dozens of countries speaking. By my personal count, there were 95 representatives of different states in the Family Photo,” Borysov noted.
As Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko stated on the conference’s main stage, around 160 agreements with more than 30 partners worth over €10 billion are expected to be signed in Gdańsk. These agreements concern the defense sector, Ukrainian manufacturing, and Ukrainian technologies aimed at protecting against Russian aggression.
According to the correspondent, Ursula von der Leyen mentioned the Ukrainian Flamingo missiles. She noted that the missiles have proven highly effective on the battlefield and that Denmark is now continuing the construction of a plant specifically for components and fuel for the Flamingo missiles.
The President of the European Commission also announced that the EU has allocated the first tranche of the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, amounting to more than €3 billion. This assistance is needed to support Ukraine’s budget and strengthen its defense capabilities.
“We also had the opportunity to speak exclusively face-to-face with some of the speakers, in particular Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. I asked him directly: what are your expectations from this conference, considering that we know Slovakia’s position very well and the statements made personally by Robert Fico. He expects constructive dialogue, including on humanitarian assistance and support for Ukraine’s reconstruction. This is the priority, and Fico will also take part in these discussions,” Borysov said.
He also reported that Ursula von der Leyen personally congratulated Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, on Ukraine’s opening of the first negotiation cluster.
“She said this is a very good result for Ukraine, that the country is successfully carrying out reforms and is getting closer and closer to membership in the European Union,” the journalist added.
Workshops are also taking place on the sidelines of the conference in Gdańsk, while presentations of Ukrainian and other equipment continue.
Summing up, Oleh Borysov emphasized that support for Ukraine is at the highest level.
“Despite the fact that there have recently been some disagreements between Ukraine and Poland, we saw President Zelenskyy’s statements and the actions of Polish leader Nawrocki. Today, however, there was very warm communication between Prime Ministers Svyrydenko and Tusk. This once again proves that both countries were, are, and will remain friends and partners, not just neighbors,” Borysov concluded.
As previously reported, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk will be the largest event of its kind.
