What good is a recovery summit when war rages?
Shortly after Ukraine was hit by the heaviest airstrikes since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion in 2022, the annual Ukraine Recovery Conference is taking place in Rome on 10 and 11 July. The EU has advocated a reconstruction fund for critical sectors, to be supplemented by private investment, while President Zelensky has called for assistance with drone production, energy supplies and air defence, as well as the release of frozen Russian funds for reconstruction.
Spare us the euphemisms!
Defence policy expert Olena Tregub argues on Facebook for a more appropriate choice of wording:
“For the fourth year in a row, a conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine is taking place in the midst of a hot phase of the war. ... And for the fourth time, I cannot get my head around this framing. Don't get me wrong: I'm not against supporting Ukraine in civilian areas – quite the opposite. Ukraine should receive not only weapons, but also macro-financial assistance and funds for infrastructure, communities, civil society and education. But to call this 'reconstruction' while our cities are burning and our people are dying is, at the very least, disconnected from reality. ... Perhaps it would be better to speak of 'resilience in war' or 'civilian support for a country at war'.”
Distraction from urgent problems
For the Frankfurter Rundschau this is like trying to run before you can walk:
“Kyiv needs weapons from Western allies, not promises about the future. ... The Ukrainian army is short of everything. And Putin is doing his utmost to force through his imperial dream of Greater Russia with military means. No one knows when this war will end, or under what conditions. How big will Ukraine be then? Where will reconstruction be a priority and where will it have to wait? Or will Putin win in the end and put paid to all the West's plans for Ukraine's future? In this light, the meeting in Rome gives the impression that the Europeans are trying to distract from Ukraine's urgent problems.”
Not a pointless event
The summit sends a signal, counters Corriere della Sera:
“It may seem pointless to talk about reconstruction while the country is being brutally bombed. ... One could therefore dismiss the Ukraine Recovery Conference as an insignificant event that will leave no trace. But that would be a mistake. Because the alternative would be to sit back and wait for the fickle Trump and the cynical Putin to somehow end the war and decide the fate of this state and its people. In Rome, on the other hand, work on constructing a political, economic and military alternative that can truly guarantee Ukraine's sovereignty and finally give Europe a proactive role continues. Pie in the sky? We shall see.”