Ahead of a reconstruction conference in Berlin, Ukraine is urging rapid investment in the country's badly damaged infrastructure. "It is important to understand that regardless of the war, reconstruction must begin now," Regional Development Minister Oleksiy Chernyshev told the German Press Agency. The supply of electricity and energy must be secured before winter and living space must be created.

Chernyshev pointed out that nearly 300 Russian missiles and drones had hit Ukraine in the past two weeks. Numerous power plants were hit and destroyed, and there were power cuts every day. "We must create the necessary infrastructure to meet these challenges."

Scholz wants to set "signs of hope".

At the invitation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, international experts will discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine on Tuesday. The Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will also take part in the meeting.

Scholz and von der Leyen have described reconstruction as a "generational task" and called for a "Marshall Plan" for the country attacked by Russia - modeled on the US reconstruction program for Germany and all of Europe after World War II. "The point is that we are now giving a sign of hope, in the midst of the horror of war, that things are going up again," Scholz said at the weekend.

Ukrainian Minister: Help in Germany's own interest

Tschernyschow emphasized that reconstruction in the recaptured areas was also in Germany's direct interest. "The faster we restore the infrastructure, especially the social infrastructure such as hospitals, day care centers and schools, the faster the Ukrainian refugees will come back." This would also reduce the cost of caring for refugees in Germany. In addition, the reconstruction offers many opportunities for the German economy. "I think Germany can play a very important role in that."

Demanded $500 million in grants per month

The Ukrainian government also hopes that Germany will transfer $500 million a month to fund its wartime budget. "It's about a reliable schedule - at least for the next six months," said President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's economic adviser, Alexander Rodnyansky, to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Tuesday). "We need four to five billion dollars for our budget every month. We believe that Germany could take on around $500 million a month, especially with a view to 2023." Ukraine hopes that the EU will contribute around two billion dollars a month.

According to Rodnyansky, the most recent Russian drone and missile attacks destroyed 30 percent of the power plants and 40 percent of the energy infrastructure. Previously, Ukraine exported electricity and generated important income. This supported the currency and stabilized central bank reserves. "Unfortunately, they (the Russians) have achieved their goal of choking off Ukrainian electricity exports," the adviser said.