While Russian strikes on energy infrastructure are depriving thousands of Ukrainians of electricity, Denys Chmygal fears a deadly winter.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal warned of a “new migratory tsunamiif Russia continues its attacks on its country’s civilian infrastructure, in an interview to be published on Sunday. Two days before a German-Ukrainian economic forum on Monday in Berlin which he must attend, the head of government accuses Moscow of wanting to “plunging Ukraine into a humanitarian disaster”, according to excerpts from his interview with the German Sunday newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, communicated in advance.
“If there is no power, electricity and water in Ukraine, it may trigger a new migration tsunami“, he said. Russia wantsgive Ukraine a cold winter, in which people could literally freeze to death. This could lead to a planned humanitarian disaster, the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War II.“.
Use frozen Russian assets
In his interview with the FAS, Denys Schmygal also called on Berlin to deliver new ammunition to Ukraine in the coming days to repel Russian airstrikes. The Ukrainian Prime Minister is to have a bilateral meeting on Monday in Berlin with Olaf Scholz and participate with the German Chancellor in an economic forum bringing together representatives of German and Ukrainian companies.
For the reconstruction of Ukraine, Denys Schmygal wants to use Russian assets frozen abroad. The damage caused by the Russian attack currently amounts to “more than 750 billion dollars“, did he declare. At the same time, there are frozen Russian assets worth $300 billion to $500 billion, he pointed out. “We should develop a mechanism for confiscating Russian assets“.
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After the German-Ukrainian economic forum on Monday, where President Volodymyr Zelensky will give a video address, an international conference for the reconstruction of Ukraine will also take place in Berlin on Tuesday. “We will have to invest a lotfor the reconstruction of Ukraine, said Chancellor Scholz in his weekly podcast published on Saturday.
“Ukraine cannot do it alone, neither can the EU do it alone. Only the international community, which is currently supporting Ukraine, can do this. And she has to do it for a long time“, he said.
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