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Italy: Conference pledges more than 10 billion euros for Ukraine reconstruction

Giorgia Mello, the Italian prime minister, said that participants in a Rome-based conference on economic recovery for Ukraine had pledged more than 10 billion euros ($11.7billion) to aid the war-torn nation.

The conference is being attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other political leaders. It takes place in the backdrop of more intense drone attacks and missile strikes on Kyiv.

Zelenskiy, speaking at the conference's opening, described the attacks in terms of "pure terror".

Meloni, as well as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, cited the recovery from World War Two of their respective countries as an example of the progress Ukraine can achieve.

Meloni, in her opening address at the conference, said: "I believe we should be proud today of what we have accomplished together - nations and international organizations, financial institutes, local authorities, business sectors, and civil societies."

She added, "Together at the conference today, we made commitments amounting to over 10 billion Euros."

It is the fourth conference of this kind since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The main goal is to mobilize international support for Ukraine.

The European Commission announced a support package of 2.3 billion Euros for Ukraine's reconstruction.

Von der Leyen stated that "with 2.3 billion euro in agreements signed, our aim is to unlock up 10 billion euros of investments for rebuilding homes, reopening hospitals, revitalizing businesses, and securing energy."

She added, "We literally stake our future on the future of Ukraine."

(source: Reuters)