Swiss president calls for Ukraine Marshall Plan

Cassis (centre) attended the Expert Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine with dignitaries such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Keystone / Clemens Bilan

The global community should formulate concrete steps to help Ukraine recover from its invasion by Russia, said Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

Cassis, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, advocates action similar to the US Marshall Plan that was set up to rebuild Europe following the Second World War.  

Cassis was speaking in Berlin at an international conference on Ukraine set up by the European Union and Germany’s presidency of the G7 nations.

Cassis paid a surprise visit to Ukraine last week where he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials.

“I was in Kyiv last week where I met many very brave people. We all owe them our deepest respect. For months they have been working day and night to defend themselves against Russia’s aggression and to regain the territorial integrity of their country,” Cassis said on Tuesday.

“I was extremely impressed and moved by the resolve and strength of the people, despite the man-made humanitarian disaster that is unfolding here in Europe before our very eyes… in the 21st century, and with winter fast approaching.”

“Even if we are unfortunately unable to predict when the war will end, it would be unforgivable not to move forward resolutely with the political process of reconstruction. The people of Ukraine, just like the many refugees from Ukraine, deserve a perspective that offers hope.”

Lugano Conference

Switzerland hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano on July 5, attended by representatives of some 40 states and 15 international organisations.

Cassis now wants to build on the ‘Lugano Principles’ to rebuild Ukraine by defining the extent of humanitarian assistance and political support to help Ukraine after it emerges from the conflict.

The International Expert Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine was attended by EU countries and representatives of international bodies such as the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.