The Future of Ukraine is in the European Union, Scholz Reaffrims

During his speech at the opening ceremony of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz asserted that Ukraine will join the EU.

He emphasized that Europe will honor its commitment to Kyiv, a pledge made in the aftermath of a full-scale Russian invasion.

“Ukraine is a large country. This country has a highly educated population. And even despite the consequences of the war, Ukraine’s economy is forecast to grow. Now, first and foremost, investments in the construction industries will revive the economy. However, Ukraine’s agricultural sector is a global player in the world market. Ukraine’s agricultural exports have reached pre-war levels, and this is an extraordinary achievement. It is also extremely important for global food security,” Scholz said.

Sholz emphasized the need to attract investment to Ukraine’s reconstruction, highlighting promising sectors like renewables, IT, and pharmaceuticals, considering the World Bank’s estimate of a $500 billion rebuilding cost over ten years.

“Ukraine has great potential in the field of renewable energy and hydrogen. As well as in the field of digital transformation, IT, armaments, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. That is why our conference focuses on these areas. When we talk about rebuilding Ukraine, we are discussing the rebuilding of a future EU member. A few months after the start of the Russian invasion, we together gave Ukraine a promise about Ukraine’s future in the EU. We will keep this promise,” added the German Chancellor.

Additionally, Zelenskyy emphasized the critical need for assistance in restoring its energy infrastructure, as months of Russian airstrikes have inflicted significant damage on power generation facilities, forcing rolling blackouts in the capital and throughout Ukraine.

This conference is being held in the lead-up to Summit on Peace for Ukraine, which will take place in Switzerland on June 15-16. According to Switzerland’s president, nearly 90 countries and organizations, have confirmed attending the summit.