Speech by the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Liesje Schreinemachter, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, Lugano, 5 July 2022
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
I’m honoured to address you all on the second day of this important conference.
After five months of war, the misery inflicted upon the people of Ukraine defies imagination.
Every day innocent people are driven from their homes, or treated in the cruelest of ways by occupying troops. Homes, schools and even hospitals have been flattened by missiles. Villages and suburbs, once lively and peaceful, now lie in ruins in a shell-pocked landscape.
The people, government and businesses of the Netherlands will support you every step of the way. This was also made clear during the recent Business Forum on Ukraine Recovery held in Rotterdam on 17 June focusing on private sector engagement at national and subnational level.
Firstly, by continuing our efforts to address Ukraine’s most urgent financial needs.
Today I am announcing that we have made available another 200 million euros in financial aid. This is a loan which will be channeled through an account created by the IMF. The money will be spent on the day-to-day costs of the Ukrainian government, like salaries of civil servants, school teachers and healthcare workers.
This new contribution comes on top of our earlier financial support totaling 140 million euros.
Secondly, looking ahead, it’s of crucial importance for the Ukrainian people to be able to rebuild their nation. At the moment, reconstruction is not yet possible. Many villages and cities are still occupied by Russian forces, or being ravaged by constant shelling and Russian air attacks.
But we must be ready to act swiftly when the guns finally fall silent. In this regard, the Lugano Conference is a key event. As a donor community, we can take stock of the needs identified by the Ukrainian government.
Thirdly and finally, the Netherlands attaches great importance to ending impunity. As the host country to the ICC, we stand ready to back Ukraine in its efforts to seek justice and accountability for the victims of war crimes.