Berlin, 12 June 2024 – Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stressed that the international community must continue to provide support to Ukraine in a greater volume and over a longer term. She also called for efforts to persist to ensure that Russia compensates for the damage it has caused in its war of aggression.
The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024) is a follow-up to annual high-level meetings which aims to bring together political leaders and representatives of the public, private and third sectors to support the rebuilding of Ukraine and the restoration of its economy. The conference is being hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and attended, among others, by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Kallas said that the free world cannot afford to tire of assisting Ukraine, since the battle being fought there is an existential one for democratic society as a whole. “If we believe in Ukraine’s victory, we are supporting the Ukrainians’ fight,” she remarked. “We must keep up international assistance to Ukraine not only in larger volumes, but also for the long-term. Ukraine must be able to resist the aggressor, both by fighting on the battlefield and by keeping its state and economy running.”
The Estonian head of government added that ultimately, Russia has to pay for the damages it has caused. “That’s not only a moral but also a legal imperative,” she said. “Estonia’s Parliament recently passed a law allowing the use of Russia’s frozen assets for Ukraine. Hopefully it inspires more to follow.”
Estonia’s efforts in the rebuilding of Ukraine are focussed on the Zhytomyr region. Prime Minister Kallas says Estonia’s experience is the best proof there is that reconstruction is possible while a war is still being fought and that it goes hand in hand with the transition to EU standards. “With our Ukrainian partners we are working on future-oriented and sustainable solutions,” she explained. “To bring just one example, we are building modern foster family homes and modernising the social system at the same time. The first such family home was handed over recently.”
During the conference, the Estonian head of government also took part in a public discussion on Ukraine’s preparations to join the EU and the EU’s readiness to accept the country. She remarked that Ukraine’s ability to press ahead at a time of war with the reforms needed to meet the accession requirements was impressive.
While in Berlin, Prime Minister Kallas held bilateral meetings with Dutch caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte, British Foreign Minister David Cameron, her Montenegrin counterpart Milojko Spajić and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development president Odile Renaud-Basso, with all of whom she discussed European security and support for Ukraine. In the evening, she took part in a public conversation with Prime Minister Spajić at an event organised by the German Atlantic Association to mark the 75th anniversary of the alliance and the 20th anniversary of Estonia joining it, and spoke at a Ukraine-themed working dinner organised by the multimedia firm Axel Springer SE.
