20,000 kidnapped children, 12,000 civilians killed. Europe wants peace, but who will settle these crimes?
The European Union has a lot of instruments that it can support and should support Ukraine. Undoubtedly, political, moral and legal support is extremely important. But to create an honest, fair peace after the war, it is crucial to arrange relationships with Russia that she would pay compensation and reparations for Ukraine for the effects of damage and war losses – says Arkadiusz Mularczyk in an interview with Newseria Agency.
As the government of the Ukrainian government, the world bank group, the European Commission and the United Nations in the report published three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as at December 31, 2024, estimate the total cost of rebuilding Ukraine will be $ 524 billion. The biggest needs are in the housing sector (almost EUR 81 billion), transport (almost EUR 75 billion), energy and mining (almost EUR 66 billion), trade and industry (over EUR 62 billion) and agriculture (over EUR 53 billion).
20,000 forced deported children
As the MEP emphasizes, financial losses are not everything. During the three years of war, about 12.5 thousand died. civilians, including over 620 children. About 20 thousand Children were forced to deport to Russia, Belarus or occupied. In the resolution of May 8, the European Parliament strongly condemned the harm of Ukrainian children, including murders, forced displacements and deportations, illegal adoptions, vile treatment for sexual purposes, forced Russification and militarization. He also called on the EU to attract guilty and to punish persons and entities involved in these crimes. MEPs emphasized that every true peace agreement must predict the repatriation of these children and bringing to the responsibility of persons who are responsible for forced displacements and deportations.
The European Commission states that 44 percent Ukrainian children show symptoms of post -traumatic stress syndrome. According to UN estimates in 2024, 14.6 million Ukrainians, i.e. almost 40 percent. The population of the country, needed humanitarian help and this state also persists this year. These needs concern many aspects, including access to water, hygiene, health services and medicines or mental support.
“This is a trauma that the war for generations creates”
– The losses are huge and will have a great impact on the functioning of the Ukrainian state in the future. Therefore, we believe that the European Union should show greater determination to use frozen Russian assets and allocate them to create a fund to rebuild Ukraine. We see that there are countries like Germany or Belgium, which block this type of solution, so on the one hand the European Union talks about a fair peace, but on the other hand, unfortunately, we do not see resolved and clear actions here – indicates Arkadiusz Mularczyk. – As the author of the report on Polish war losses, where our team showed, proved how great the losses of our country are, how great influence on Poland's difficult functioning for decades, reconstruction from destruction, disability, disability, and the heavy traumas that Poles survived – this is the trauma created by war for generations.
After the start of Russia's full -glass aggression in Ukraine, Western countries frozen almost half of Russia's foreign reserves, i.e. EUR 300 billion. The first tranche of EUR 1.5 billion was paid in the summer of 2024, the second tranche – in the amount of EUR 2.1 billion – in April this year.
Almost EUR 150 billion from the EU to the support of Ukraine
According to data from the EU Council, from the beginning of the Russian EU assault and its Member States allocated almost EUR 148 billion to support Ukraine. 65 percent total assistance to Ukraine was provided in the form of subsidies or material assistance, 35 percent granted in the form of loans on favorable terms. The instrument for Ukraine provides for stable financing in the form of subsidies and loans worth up to EUR 50 billion for support for reconstruction, reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine in 2024-2027. Until May 8 this year. As part of the instrument for Ukraine, EUR 25.5 billion was paid.
– Ukraine, which has been unlawful, must have our political, moral and financial support. In the interest of the European Union, in particular Poland and the Baltic countries, it is that there is an independent and sovereign Ukraine, because it is in a sense our buffer before aggressive imperial Russia – emphasizes PiS MEP. – Russia in a very precise way tries to destroy various types of strategic targets, attacks airports, energy transmission points, heat and energy power plants. All this means that Ukraine is a country that fights for survival. Today, the funds that the Union allocates largely go to the maintenance of the critical infrastructure of the Ukrainian state, without which it simply will not survive.
Agreement about economic partnership key in The context of Europe's security?
In May, Ukraine and the US signed an economic partnership agreement and the creation of the American-Ukrainian Investment Fund for reconstruction. It does not assume specific guarantees of US security, but according to PiS MEP may be crucial in the context of Europe's security.
– America, signing a mineral agreement, in my opinion pushes out of this zone of the world, from Ukraine, Russian and Chinese influence. This fact itself is a certain element of a security guarantee for Ukraine and with this, I am convinced, American investments and security guarantees will be associated – argues Arkadiusz Mularczyk.
“Shadow Fleet” can also be covered by sanctions
The EU may impose another packet of sanctions to the Russian banking and energy sector, repression would also affect the “shadow fleet” used to avoid the price limit to Russian oil. Until now, the European Union has adopted 16 sanction packages towards Russia.
– EU sanctions, but also G7 countries, USA, in the long run will de facto stop Russia's development for decades. In addition to the losses suffered by Russia on the front in the form of damage, war and human losses, these sanctions will also affect the significant slowdown of the Russian economy, so Russia will undoubtedly feel the effects of this war in a negative way – says PiS MEP.
