LIVE: Biden Delivers Remarks on Ukraine's Recovery and Reconstruction

Please welcome the President of the United States, accompanied by the President of Ukraine, the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the President of the European Commission. Your Excellency, please take your seats. The speaking program will begin momentarily. Distinguished guests, please welcome the President of the United States. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Welcome to Washington. Fellow leaders, friends, for 944 days, Putin has waged his vicious onslaught against Ukraine. For 944 days, Ukraine people have stood, unwavering, unbroken, and unbowed. Today, we're launching the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction to make it clear we stand with Ukraine, now and in the future. That starts on the battlefield. I'm determined to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to prevail and fight for its survival. Tomorrow, I will announce a series of actions to accelerate support for Ukraine's military. But we know Ukraine's future victory is about more than what happens on the battlefield. It's also about what Ukrainians do to make the most of a free and independent future, of which so many have sacrificed so much. With this declaration, over 30 countries in the European Union have made important commitments. First, as Ukraine continues to make necessary reforms to fight corruption, we're committed to providing Ukraine with the resources it needs to build back stronger than it was before. Folks, it's no secret Russian attacks have caused significant damage to Ukraine. And less well-known is the story of Ukraine's economic resilience. Ukraine's GDP is stable and actually growing. Ukraine's defense industry, forged in the fire, is six times larger than it was a year ago. Ukraine is now exporting almost as much grain as it did before the war, feeding people and the world once again. Ukraine's economy is resilient. And together, we can help Ukraine go from economic resilience to economic revival. Second, we commit to hold Russia accountable for the damage that it's caused. This builds on a historic effort by the G7 back in 2022, two days after Russia's invasion. Members of the G7 and the EU worked together to freeze $280 billion in Russian central bank funds outside of Russia. This summer, at the G7, the United States and our partners reached a decision to unlock $50 billion from the proceeds of those frozen assets to put that money to work for Ukraine as it rebuilds and recovers its economy. Today, we reaffirm that with all our respective countries and legal systems, Russia's sovereign assets will be immobilized until Russia ends its aggression and pays for the damage it's caused. Finally, we're committed to coordinate closely through efforts like the Ukraine donor platform so we can make sure that each dollar goes as far as possible, reinforcing one another instead of duplicating the world. Let me close with this. This war has shown the Ukrainians can do anything they set their minds to. Today, we show the Ukrainians they're not alone. They're not alone in this fight. They're not alone in the reconstruction that comes after. The Ukrainian people have fought and died to win the future of freedom and independence. Mr. President, we all, we all stand by your side to help Ukraine make the most of it. Thank you all very much. Distinguished guests, please welcome the President of Ukraine. Thank you so much, dear President Biden, dear leaders, dear our friends. I'm grateful to all of you for your unity in protecting lives. We previously gathered at the NATO summit in Vilnius to strengthen our defense cooperation. We do value the G7 security declaration and the 26 bilateral security agreements which fortify us all. And now, more than 40 countries and the EU have agreed to the declaration, a truly strong declaration focused on rebuilding Ukraine after the facility. This is a shared commitment to help rebuild Ukraine and support our path to the EU. It involves coordinating recovery efforts through the Ukrainian donor platform, ensuring that our joint ideas become a reality. And it's crucial that peace support becomes tangible this year. That's why additional financing resources are planned by the end of the year with access to 50 billion in immobilized assets from the aggressive state Russia which brought peace work for us. This reflects our shared vision of life. We protect people, and we ensure that people have the opportunity to live. And it is absolutely justified that those who help us with them now will be secured to benefit together with Ukraine from the large-scale reconstruction. Security and prosperity are highly intertwined, and one cannot exist without the other. Sadly, throughout history, wars have too often shattered the destinies of generations lasting a few years but poisoning lives for decades. Together, we can prevent this now. We must not leave behind ruins that would spread resentment and bitterness after this war. These tasks can only be achieved together. After the devastating Second World War, the Allies launched the Marshall Plan, which gave peace the strength to become truly lasting. And today we are laying the foundation for a similar architecture of recovery, one that will promote peaceful Ukraine and all of Europe and the general welfare. I thank President Biden and all you, France, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni for their supporting in organizing today's meeting and for their unwavering leadership in protecting our lives. Thank you all, my friends, and I am confident life will prevail. Thank you from Ukraine. Distinguished guests, please welcome the President of the European Commission. President Biden, Mr. President, dear fellow leaders, in a few weeks the world will mark 1,000 years of the Russian Civil War. So many innocent people have been killed. So many cities have been razed to the ground. So many families have been torn apart. One day we will know how many young men and women were killed in this very horrific war. But there is something we already know today. Peace cannot be taken for granted. We have to stand up for everything else. No one wants peace more than the people of Ukraine. A just and lasting peace. Peace is not only the end of fighting. Peace is not simply the absence of war. Peace is a settlement that makes war impossible and unnecessary. We must put Ukraine in the strong condition of negotiating such peace. And this is why the integration of Ukraine in the European Union is for us at the heart of our peace effort. Putting Ukraine in a strong position is also about the economy. The G7 partners in Bulgaria announced the $50 billion loan to Ukraine. And I'm pleased to confirm that Europe will be providing up to $35 billion. This loan will be repaid by the windfall profits of the immobilized Russia. In other words, it is Russia who pays for the damages it caused. And Volodymyr, today you described how Russia tries to plunge Ukraine into the dark by massively targeting your energy infrastructure. Rest assured, together with our partners we are repairing, reconnecting, and stabilizing the energy supply. There is light for Ukraine. And allow me to share a last thought with you. We can never match the sacrifices that Ukrainian people are making every day to stay free and independent. But what we can do? Stand by their side and build a common future. Five days ago I was in Kyiv and saw several stars. And it was really touching. Despite the war, Ukraine is blessed by the daring entrepreneurial spirit of its young people. Ukraine is becoming one of Europe's most digitized economies. Macroeconomic conditions are stable. Inflation is under control. But most importantly, Ukraine is actively reaching out to the world with its key partners. And this is what the brave people of Ukraine deserve, a just and lasting future. Thank you. Distinguished guests, please welcome the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Thank you, President Biden and President Zelensky. It is important that we meet here today as the world comes together for the general because this group is united in its determination to stand up the UN Charter in Ukraine. Russia's invasion is against everything the UN stands for. So it must be met with strength. International law must be upheld. None of us want it. And no one wants to put an end to Northern Ukraine. But so long as Putin continues this aggression, we will support Ukraine to defend its land and its borders. That is why the UK has committed to provide £3 billion in military aid every year for as long as it is needed. And it's why we're invested in Ukraine's defence industry. We must redouble our efforts to help Ukraine push back this illegal war. At the Swiss Peace Summit this year, 89 countries came together to say that Ukraine's right to territorial integrity must be the basis of any sustainable peace. And that has to be our starting point. And our commitment goes far beyond military. We're providing help for communities on the frontline, help for energy infrastructure recovery and reconstruction. Everything from solar panels and hospital rooftops to generating carpool services. We will deploy over £480 million of loan agreements to the World Bank, to support the economy and fight poverty. We're working also with the G7 to deliver that additional £15 billion from the profits generated by frozen Russian assets. Because Russia must pay for Ukraine's economic recovery. Like everyone here, I want to see Ukraine thrive as a strong, modern, prosperous European nation. And so I say again, we're in this for the long haul. Thank you. Distinguished guests, this concludes the in-person speaking. The virtual program will begin shortly. Distinguished guests, please welcome the Prime Minister of the Italian Republic. Dear Volodymyr, sorry. Good evening, dear Volodymyr, dear Joe, dear colleagues. For 943 days, Ukrainian people have been reminding us of what it means to live in and fight for their own freedom. And our forgiveness has secured Ukraine the support it needed. This is a value to be protected if we want to restore peace in the heart of Europe. We have all done our part, both at the bilateral and multilateral level. And it is now necessary to increasingly systemize our efforts. The joint declaration adopted today, promoted by Italy as G7 presidency and joined by many, pushes this very direction. We as Italy signed the security agreement and adopted up the ninth package of military aid. We have focused on air defense and are now going to deliver the second Samsung battery. This is net of the support Italy continues to provide across the board, including the protection of infrastructure, not least our contribution to restoring energy production capacity following the destruction of the Nova Karpova dump. And as G7 presidency, we will continue to work to implement the agreement on the use of interest from frozen Russian assets in Europe as a collateral for a 50 billion loan. Looking to the future of Ukraine also means thinking about the construction, which must be supported jointly with international financial institutions and the private sector. We intend to do our part, hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2025. So, dear Volodymyr, we will continue to be by your side for as long as it is necessary. Our objective lies in putting an end to this war and helping Ukraine along its path towards a future of peace, freedom, and prosperity. So, as always, you can count on us. Thank you. And all our other G7 partners, thank you, Joe, for hosting this. Good to see everyone here. Canadian support for Ukraine is unwavering, as is the support of the G7. I'm proud to endorse the Joint Declaration of Support for Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine. I want to make four brief points today. One, we support your continued diplomatic efforts towards a just and lasting peace, including through the peace program. I was honored to attend the Summit of Peace in Ukraine and Switzerland last June, where I committed to Canada hosting a foreign ministers' meeting on the human dimension. So, I'm pleased to announce that we will host this meeting here in Canada on October 30 and 31st. We will co-chair with both Ukraine and Norway. And I certainly hope that all of you will be sending your foreign ministers to join with us in this important meeting, where we can contribute to the return of supported children, detained civilians, and prisoners of war. Second, on security and military assistance, Canada is determined to continue to work with Ukraine and partners to provide you with all the support you need to achieve victory against Russian aggression. We'll provide Ukraine with $500 million in new military assistance that I announced at the NATO Summit in July, and we're considering more areas of critical and urgently needed support, such as drones, artillery, armored vehicles, and fighter pilot training. We will continue and continue to be there with you as long as it takes. On financing, the G7, under George's leadership, came together with a pledge to fully estimate $50 billion in funding available to Ukraine through the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans, and we're putting those political commitments into action. As I announced in June, Canada stands ready to contribute up to $5 billion towards this initiative, and we'll continue to work with our G7 counterparts to put the mechanisms for this funding in place by the end of the year. And finally, on recovery and reconstruction, we will continue to support Ukraine's vision for its recovery and reconstruction. We'll continue to support an inclusive recovery approach that ensures the voices of women, marginalized groups, and civil society are at the heart of Ukraine's path forward. Given the scale of investment required, leveraging public and donor funding will also be necessary to mobilize significant private investment and maximize available financing. As Canada takes on from the tremendous leadership that Georgia showed at the G7 this year, we take on the G7 presidency next year, and we will continue to make sure we are all delivering on our commitments to support Ukraine in its long-term self-defense, resilience, and reconstruction needs. We will stand with you with everything it takes until you win this war. Distinguished guests, this concludes the virtual speaking program. Thank you for joining us.