International donors conference in Warsaw raises more than $6 billion for Ukraine
An international donors conference in Warsaw on Thursday (May 5) collecting funds for Ukraine raised around $6.5 billion, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.
The conference, aimed at helping Ukraine deal with the economic and humanitarian fallout of Russia's invasion, was hosted by Poland and Sweden, in cooperation with the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council.
During a news conference at the end of the event, Morawiecki said more than €6 billion ($6.5 billion USD) had been raised. A Polish foreign ministry spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for clarification from Reuters.
Morawiecki added that Ukraine should be given candidate status to join the European Union as soon as possible in order to "maintain their (Ukrainians') fighting spirit, their morale."
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said pledges had surpassed expectations.
The European Commission also pledged 200 million euros in aid for displaced people in Ukraine, it said in a statement. The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, said that the European Union wanted to invest in the reconstruction of Ukraine as soon as possible.
Ukraine has received more than $12 billion in weapons and financial aid since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal added during the news conference.