EU’s von der Leyen warns West against slackening support for Ukraine
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The West must not let up supplying Ukraine with weapons and money if it wants Kyiv to succeed in its war against Russia, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned on Tuesday.
“Ukraine can prevail in this war but we must continue to empower their resistance,” she told business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, urging Kyiv’s western allies to continue their arms deliveries and financial support of Ukraine.
“Ukrainians need predictable financing throughout 2024 and beyond. They need a sufficient and sustained supply of weapons to defend Ukraine and regain its rightful territory.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations appealed for $4.2 billion from donors on to support war-ravaged communities in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in 2024, as war rages nearly two years on from Russia’s invasion.
“Please do not forget Ukraine while there are many other places in the world that grab our attention,” U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths urged diplomats in Geneva.
As part of the appeal for funding, OCHA is asking for $3.1 billion to help 8.5 million people in dire need of humanitarian aid in 2024. The U.N. refugee agency is seeking $1.1 billion to support 2.3 million Ukrainian refugees and their host communities.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) received 67% of the $3.9 billion it appealed for last year. It has reduced its appeal for 2024 to prioritise the people most in need as other humanitarian crises around the globe, including in Gaza and Sudan, require urgent funding.
