Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the Group of Seven nations on December 12 to help his government obtain an additional two billion cubic metres of natural gas and to supply it with modern tanks, artillery units and shells as well as long-range weapons.
Speaking remotely at the G7 video conference hosted by Germany, Mr. Zelensky also called on Russia to make a “substantive” step towards a diplomatic resolution of the war in Ukraine and suggested that Moscow should pull its troops out by Christmas.
“If Russia conducts a withdrawal of its forces from Ukraine, then it will also ensure a reliable end of hostilities,” he said.
“I see no reason why Russia should not do this now — in time for Christmas.”
Russia invaded Ukraine in February and fighting is raging in the south and east, while Moscow in recent weeks launched waves of missiles on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Setting up multi-agency platform to coordinate aid: G7
Group of Seven rich nations on Dec. 12 said they would set up a multi-agency platform to coordinate aid to Ukraine and support its repair, recovery and reconstruction, with senior representatives to convene as soon as possible in January.
G7 leaders in a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting said they would work with Ukraine, international partners and international financial organizations to establish the new Donor Coordination Platform.
“Through this platform, we will coordinate existing mechanisms to provide ongoing short- and long-term support..., coordinate further international funding and expertise, and encourage Ukraine’s reform agenda as well as private sector led growth,” they said.
The G7 leaders said they would set up a secretariat for the platform and each member country would designate a senior government representative to oversee creation of the platform and coordination efforts.
“We firmly support efforts to secure Ukraine’s immediate financial stability and its recovery and reconstruction towards a sustainable, prosperous and democratic future, in line with its European path,” they said in the statement.
The effort will build on a recovery conference held in Berlin in October and a separate event in London in June. International donors are due to meet again in Paris on Tuesday.
G7 leaders also pledged to help Ukraine meet winter preparedness needs and support civilian resilience, and vowed to keep drumming up international support for Ukraine’s urgent short-term financing needs.
They said they would ask G7 finance ministers to meet shortly to discuss a joint approach for coordinated budget support in 2023, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to play a central role.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the Reuters NEXT conference on Dec. 1 it was critical to “front-load” aid to Ukraine ahead of harsh winter months, given ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.
The IMF has provided $2.7 billion in emergency financing to Ukraine and recently agreed a board monitoring program with Ukraine that should pave the way for a larger financing program.
World Bank President David Malpass told the same conference that the World Bank had disbursed $18 billion to Ukraine, with much of it coming from the United States and Europe.
But the country will need $3 billion to $5 billion per month in budgetary assistance to keep its government running, the IMF estimates. That is up to $1 billion a month more than it forecast in October.
