“We need you”
[ad_1]
The Ukrainian president called on French companies to establish themselves in Ukraine after the end of the conflict, in order to allow the country to rebuild itself.
Volodymyr Zelensky delivered the inaugural speech at the Meeting of French Entrepreneurs (REF) of the Medef, this Monday at noon. From his office, by videoconference, the Ukrainian president appealed to people who defend “human rights“. “The leaders of Russia saw that Ukraine could become a positive example for our whole region“, he argued explaining the reasons for the aggression of Vladimir Putin.
“Russia’s war is not just a colonial war. They try to destroy all the hope of the peoples on its borders, estimated Volodymyr Zelensky. I sincerely thank the French people and President Emmanuel Macron. I saw his efforts to seek a diplomatic route. But Russia does not want to live without war“.
Read alsoEnergy savings: France is considering an over-the-counter energy market for businesses
Efforts required from companies
The Ukrainian president urged French companies to participate in Ukraine’s post-war recovery. “It is important to rebuild Ukraine after this war. I am addressing you because we need your participation for the reconstruction of Ukraine. We call on construction companies to participate in the reconstruction of our infrastructures“, he said, renewing this call for energy, automotive and food companies, which he invited to set up in Ukraine. A forum in Paris dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine is in preparation, he added.
Because the cost of reconstruction looks high. Volodymyr Zelensky estimated him between “600 and 800 billion” of dollars. “Today, I cannot tell you about concrete amounts“, he underlined. At the beginning of July, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal had advanced the sum of at least 750 billion dollars. “We must, in my view, concentrate on measures of fast recovery (fast reconstruction, editor’s note)”, estimates Volodymyr Zelensky.
At the same time, the Ukrainian president called on France to cut economic ties with Russian citizens, especially those who own in France “real estate, and who open businesses“. “If they know they can lose this, the strategy can pay off“, he believes. The Ukrainian president, however, refrained from calling on French companies to leave Russia, as he has done on several occasions in recent months. He made no reference to the controversy over the gas production in Russia by TotalEnergies, part of which would have been transformed into kerosene for the Russian air force according to the NGO Global Witness, which the French group denies. The time was clearly not to rob the French bosses but to mobilize them alongside kyiv.
SEE ALSO – In front of the Medef, Volodymyr Zelensky asks for help to “rebuild Ukraine after the hostilities”
Energy at the heart of the debates
On the energetic level, Volodymyr Zelensky considers that it is not possible to find “temporary solutionsto supply gas to Europe. “We are ready to supply low-cost energy to Europe“, he insists without giving more precision on the means or the deadlines.
The war in Ukraine and its consequences on Europe’s energy supply are at the heart of the two days of debates organized at the Longchamp racecourse. Businesses should indeed be involved by the government in the strategy to reduce energy consumption which must be implemented in the coming months.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne is thus awaited by the bosses at the start of the afternoon, a highly anticipated speech which will also allow the government to make its economic comeback.
[ad_2]
Source link
