Ukraine conference opens today in Lugano

President Ignazio Cassis greets Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Lugano yesterday (c) Twitter

The Ukraine Recovery Conference starts today in Lugano. The aim of the conference is to bring together international leaders to come up with a strategy to rebuild the country battered by war.


The Foreign Ministry says there will be 41 countries and 19 international organisations represented as well as private sector business leaders.

The Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shyhal, has already arrived. The president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to join by video link. 

It’s estimated the war has already cost Ukraine USD 700 billion. The numbers are from the Kyiv School of Economics. The Russians are said to have destroyed 227 factories, over 1,000 schools, more than 600 kindergartens as well as transport infrastructure and homes.

 In a speech yesterday, President Zelenskyy says Ukrainian troops will return to some eastern cities they’ve been forced to retreat from. 

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