Donor conference on May 5 should become a starting point of the Marshall Plan for Ukraine

Exclusive interview of President of the European Council Charles Michel to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, which he gave by phone from Warsaw, where on Thursday, May 5, a donor conference initiated by Poland and Sweden will be held to raise funds for Ukraine.

Text: Iryna Somer

Can you give us more details about upcoming conference?

 First of all, it is important to mentioned that this idea of a trust fund was expressed directly by president Zelensky and myself a few weeks ago. Because I understood that it’s extremely important for us, as the EU, to be concrete that we are operational and to identify the priorities but also to mobilize the means that are needed. That is one first element. Second element – I made a proposal to the European Council to support politically the launch of this conference. It means that we are supported by the 27 heads of states and heads of government, and we decided when we have the debate in the European Council and also in the frame work of the contact we had with president Zelensky that we want to involve an international community in this conference to make possible for many donors coming from other part of the world to show our solidarity with Ukraine. This is one first element. And that is why I’m so pleased that Poland together with Sweden took a decision to launch in Warsaw this conference with a full support of the European Commission and full support of myself. This is one first element.

Second element. In closed cooperation with Ukrainian friends I see three priorities in this conference and three goals. The first is humanitarian support. We want to make sure that Ukrainian authorities are supported as much as we can in order to provide humanitarian support that is needed. Because of