Ukraine’s rich vow to rebuild besieged Mariupol: ‘We need an international plan like the Marshall Plan’

Ukraine’s richest man has promised to help rebuild the besieged city of Mariupol, where he owns two large steel mills. It will, according to him, compete globally again.

Rinad Akhmetov looked at him Eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine shattered the business empire, But he is an opponent, and he firmly believes in those who call “Our brave warriors” will defend the city from the Sea of ​​AzovIt was reduced to a barren land seven weeks after the bombing.

However, for now, your company MetinWestUkraine’s largest steel producer Can not fulfill its distribution contracts during its finance and industry committee SCM Team Meets its credit obligations to its private power producer DTEK Agreement with creditors “optimizes the repayment of its debts”.

“Mariupol is a global example of world tragedy and heroism. For me, Mariupol will always be a Ukrainian city”, Akhmetov said in written answers to the questions Reuters.

“I hope our brave soldiers will defend the city, but I understand how difficult and difficult it is for them,” he said, adding that he was in daily contact with the directors. MetinWest Operator of Azovstal and Ilich steel plants in Mariupol.

On Friday, MetinWest He said Will never operate under Russian occupation and the siege of Mariupol will render more than a third of Ukraine’s metallurgical productivity useless.

Akhmetov praised “Interest and Professionalism” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZhelenskyDuring the war, it seems like relations are softening later Last year, the Ukrainian leader said that conspirators seeking to overthrow his government had tried to implicate the businessman..

Akhmedov later called the charge “Complete lie”.

“War is definitely not the time to disagree … We will rebuild the whole of Ukraine”, He promised, saying he returned to the country on February 23 and has been there ever since.

Marshall Plan for Ukraine

Akhmetov did not say exactly where he was, but he did say it He was in Mariupol on February 16 when some Western intelligence services expected the invasion to begin. “I talked to people on the streets, I met workers …” he said.

“My ambition is to return to the Ukrainian Mariupol and implement our plans (From new production) so that the steel produced at Mariupol can compete in global markets as before.

On February 24, Russia invaded when President Vladimir Putin announced a “special measure” to militarize and “reduce” the country. kyiv and its Western allies reject it as a false pretext for unprovoked attack.

Akhmetov, Rich for a long time in UkraineDid you see how His business empire has shrunk since Russia annexed the Crimean Black Sea Peninsula in 2014. And two regions in eastern Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk – declared their independence from Kiev.

According to the magazine ForbesReached Akhmedo’s net worth in 2013 $ 15.4 billion. It is currently located $ 3.9 billion.

“For us, the war broke out in 2014. We lost all our property in the Crimea and in the temporarily occupied Donbass region. We lost our businesses, but it made us harder and stronger, ”he said.

“As the largest private company in the country, I believe SCM will play a key role in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine,” he said.

“We definitely need an unprecedented international reconstruction plan, the Marshall Plan for Ukraine.”He spoke of the US aid program that had helped rebuild Western Europe after World War II.

“I trust everyone We will rebuild an independent, European, democratic Ukraine The victory came after our victory in this battle.

(With Reuters information)

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