Italian PM proposes to prepare new Marshall Plan for Ukraine's post-war restoration

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi believes that the restoration of Ukraine needs its own "Marshall Plan", similar to the plan that brought Europe and the United States closer after World War II.

According to TASS, he said this during the award ceremony at the Atlantic Council in Washington, the press service of the head of the Italian government said on Thursday.

“We must be ready to help Ukraine for a long time. Its ruined cities, factories, devastated crop fields will require huge financial injections. Ukraine needs its own Marshall Plan, like the one that once brought Europe and the United States closer together. We need to guarantee the preservation and strengthening of the country's democratic institutions,” Draghi said.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine strengthened ties between the EU and the US, isolated Moscow and raised questions for China. These challenges will remain for a long time. We must continue to support Ukraine, bill Russia by accepting the latest sanctions package, but we must also achieve a ceasefire,” the Italian prime minister said.

Earlier, he noted that assistance to Ukraine should be provided collectively, recognizing that "there are no funds in the budget of a country like Italy" for these purposes.