Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday the reconstruction of his war-battered country is the “common task of the entire democratic world,†as his prime minister laid out a US$750 billion recovery plan once the guns of Russia's invaders fall silent one day.
As Russian forces continued their crushing advance in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, Zelenskyy spoke by video message to the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Switzerland about the needs of the country that has been on an up-and-down march toward democracy since the end of the Cold War and now faces widespread devastation.
“The reconstruction of Ukraine is not a local project, is not a project of one nation, but a common task of the entire democratic world - all countries, all countries who can say they are civilized,†Zelenskyy told hundreds of attendees in Lugano. â€Restoring Ukraine means restoring the principles of life, restoring the space of life, restoring everything that makes humans humans.“
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said such a recovery would require a sort of “Marshall Plan†for Ukraine to help it rebuild.
Such ambitions, Zelenskyy said, will require wide-scale construction, funding and security “in all of our country which will be forced to continue living beside Russia.â€
The task, which is already under way in some areas that were liberated from Russian forces, aims to leverage outside expertise, government funds and work of Ukrainians to rebuild hospitals, schools, government buildings, homes and apartments - but also water pipes, gas lines and other battered infrastructure.
“Today, we're all united in our defense. Tomorrow in our reconstruction,†said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who attended in person. He presented a recovery plan that meets immediate needs - even as the war continues - followed by a “fast recovery†when it's over, and then longer-term requirements.
Shmyhal said the cost of the recovery plan is estimated at $750 billion, and insisted a key source of funding “should be the confiscated assets of Russia and Russian oligarchs.†He cited unspecified estimates that such sums total US$300 billion to $500 billion now.
“The Russian authorities unleash this bloody war. They caused this massive destruction and they should be held accountable for it,†Shmyhal said.
Valdis Dombrovskis, vice president of the European Union's executive branch, said using such confiscated Russian assets would involve criminal law, so the “legal obstacles†weren't resolved, “but we think it's important that according to the principle of `aggressor pays' it's also Russia's assets which are directed to the reconstruction of Ukraine.â€
Earlier Monday, a leading Swiss nongovernmental group called out Switzerland as a “safe haven†for Russian oligarchs and as a trading hub for Russian oil, grain and coal.
Public Eye urged the Swiss executive branch to “use all levers at its disposal to stop the financing of this inhuman aggression,†a reference to Russia's war that has killed thousands of people, driven millions from their homes, and rippled through world economy by driving up food and fuel prices.
It said Switzerland has been over the years a “popular refuge†for Russian business magnates to park their assets. The group said firms use Switzerland as an “unregulated commodity trading hub†and exploit a lack of transparency about financial dealings in the country.
There was no immediate response from the Swiss government.
The group welcomed Switzerland's “humanitarian engagement†for Ukraine through the conference but called on the government to strictly implement international sanctions on Russian elites and their government, and better regulate its trading hub.
Switzerland is a major international financial center and its government has traditionally touted Swiss “neutrality†- which is enshrined into law - and Switzerland's role as an intermediary between hostile countries and as a host of many international and UN institutions.
The Swiss Bankers Association has estimated that the assets of Russian clients deposited in Switzerland's banks total 150-200 billion Swiss francs (about US$155-$210 billion), making the country a key repository of Russian money abroad.
Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, has largely joined the bloc's sanctions against Russia. The website of the Swiss federal economics department says that as of May 12, a total of 6.3 billion francs have been frozen in Switzerland in connection with Russia's war in Ukraine.
In its call for transparency and better regulation in Switzerland, Public Eye said that “as a safe haven for oligarchs close to the Kremlin and as a trading hub for Russian oil, grain and coal, Switzerland bears a big political responsibility.â€
The conference in lakeside Lugano brings together hundreds of representatives from government, advocacy groups, the private sector, academia and UN organizations - and scores of Ukrainian ministers, lawmakers, diplomats and others. It builds upon a multi-year, multi-country discussion about reform in Ukraine - even before the war began - but this time the focus is “recovery†from the war.
Environmental groups want to help Ukraine build back better. Lobby groups Solar Power Europe and Wind Europe, together with their Ukrainian counterparts, urged Ukraine to set a target of producing at least 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, bringing it in line with European Union targets.
According to the International Energy Agency, Ukraine generated less than 10 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources in 2019, the last year for which data was published. Most of Ukraine's electricity comes from nuclear power and burning coal.
A small group of Greenpeace activists staged a media stunt by pretending to set up a fake wind turbine on the banks of Lake Lugano, as part of a call with Ukrainian NGOs to support sustainable energy development in the country whose infrastructure has been widely damaged.
Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.
On the anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in Israel, police departments in cities across Canada are increasing their presence in Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as at the locations of planned protests.
Lawyers for a man who is also under investigation in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann called on Monday for him to be acquitted in his trial on charges of unrelated sexual offences.
Scurvy is not just an archaic diagnosis of 18th-century seafarers and doctors should be on the lookout for possible cases, according to researchers following a recent case.
Christopher Ciccone, a multihyphenate artist, dancer, designer and younger brother of Madonna, has died. He was 63.
Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada’s highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with murder under Canadian law.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
A man stole a police car and drove it onto the field of an East Vancouver park Sunday morning, placing 'dozens of bystanders in harm’s way,' according to police.
Israelis held sombre ceremonies on Monday to mark a year since the deadliest attack in the country's history, a Hamas-led raid that shattered its sense of security and ignited wars on two fronts with no end in sight.
Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada’s highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with murder under Canadian law.
On the anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in Israel, police departments in cities across Canada are increasing their presence in Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as at the locations of planned protests.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
A man stole a police car and drove it onto the field of an East Vancouver park Sunday morning, placing 'dozens of bystanders in harm’s way,' according to police.
A man parked a minivan in front of Vancouver City Hall Sunday evening and set it ablaze, according to police.
A 54-year-old inmate at the Toronto South Detention Centre has been charged in connection with a deadly jail beating late last week that claimed the life of a 69-year-old prisoner.
Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets into Israel on Monday as mourners marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, without disrupting a nearby ceremony.
A British doctor on Monday admitted trying to kill his mother's long-term partner, who stood between him and an inheritance, by injecting the man with poison disguised as a COVID-19 vaccine.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a major oil terminal Monday in Crimea that provides fuel for Russia’s war effort as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war has entered a key phase.
Two Chinese nationals were killed and one was injured in a suicide attack near Karachi’s international airport Sunday evening, China’s embassy in Pakistan said Monday, marking the latest in a string of violence against China’s personnel and investments in the country in recent years.
Lawyers for a man who is also under investigation in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann called on Monday for him to be acquitted in his trial on charges of unrelated sexual offences.
Fighting between the Sudanese military and its rival paramilitary in Sudan 's North Darfur killed at least 13 children and injured four others, UNICEF said.
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel last year, and the immediate Israeli retaliation that followed, sent shockwaves throughout the world that have shaken Canada culturally and politically.
A federal inquiry into foreign interference is slated to hear today from security officials working in the office that supports the prime minister.
Justin Trudeau will travel to Laos later this week for the ASEAN summit, marking what his office says will be the first official visit of a Canadian prime minister to the Southeast Asian country.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall due to possible Listeria contamination for more than a dozen brands of beef jelly tongue products sold in Ontario.
Scurvy is not just an archaic diagnosis of 18th-century seafarers and doctors should be on the lookout for possible cases, according to researchers following a recent case.
Rebecca Bruzzese came down with COVID-19 in February 2023, and received her injection at the end of March. 'Being able to recognize smells is something we take for granted, until you can’t.'
The best minds in science will be thrust from academic obscurity into the spotlight this week when the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine are announced. However, there is no shortage of Nobel-worthy discoveries: Here are five breakthroughs that haven't resulted in a life-changing call from Stockholm — at least not yet.
Scientists announced on Thursday a milestone in neurobiological research with the mapping of the entire brain of an adult fruit fly, a feat that may provide insight into brains across the animal kingdom, including people.
For humans, flashing a smile is an easy way to avoid misunderstanding. And, according to a new study, bottlenose dolphins may use a similar tactic while playing with each other.
Christopher Ciccone, a multihyphenate artist, dancer, designer and younger brother of Madonna, has died. He was 63.
The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal Monday from the singer R. Kelly, who is now serving 20 years in prison after being convicted of child sex convictions in Chicago.
Donald Glover has cancelled the remaining dates of Childish Gambino’s North American and European tour.
Financial strain can be an uncomfortable burden to bear, especially if you feel that you're doing as much as you can and are barely managing to stay afloat. Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some tips for managing financial stress and digging your way out of debt.
Yugali Bharote starts her day in the kitchen, preparing lunch boxes for her sons bound for school – but she doesn’t stop there. She then prepares almost a dozen lunch boxes for customers who have subscribed to her homemade meals.
Dubai's Emirates airline has banned pagers and walkie-talkies from its planes, following last month's attacks on such devices carried by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
'Eat more vegetables,' doctors and dietitians say over and over. But for many people, it’s hard to do, because they aren’t excited about veggies or just don’t like them.
Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.
A five-seat sushi counter located inside another restaurant is the latest Vancouver eatery to receive a Michelin star.
During the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, LeBron and Bronny James became the first father/son duo to play together on an NBA team.
It took 30 days, nine hours and 59 minutes for Lachlan Morton to complete a full lap – just over 8,800 miles or 14,200 kilometres – of his vast country in record time, arriving back in his hometown of Port Macquarie on Saturday. But you can forgive him for thinking that it’s been longer.
The Carleton Ravens came within a field goal of their first Panda Game victory since 2017, but ultimately came short of breaking the University of Ottawa Gee Gees winning streak on Sunday.
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
Tesla is recalling more than 27,000 Cybertrucks because the rearview camera image may not activate immediately after shifting into reverse, the fifth recall for the vehicle since it went on sale late last year.
A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.
Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.
Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.
A gargantuan gourd – affectionately named ‘Orangina’ by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home – earned the massive honour of being named B.C.’s heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.
Police in several Canadian cities, including Vancouver, are increasing their presence in preparation for protests and rallies on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in Israel.
A man parked a minivan in front of Vancouver City Hall Sunday evening and set it ablaze, according to police.
New Democrat David Eby, B.C. Conservative John Rustad and Sonia Furstenau set to square off in televised debate Tuesday.
Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada’s highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with murder under Canadian law.
One person has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a crash in Etobicoke early Monday morning.
A man has died following a two-vehicle collision in North York on Sunday night.
Opponents to blanket rezoning in Calgary are inviting members of the public to learn more about the next steps in the fight against the controversial plan.
Lethbridge police are looking for a 32-year-old man they say escaped from a psychiatric ward at the Chinook Regional Hospital.
Continuing this trend of unusually warm weather, southern Alberta will start this week with sunshine and daytime highs that are seven to eight degrees warmer than average.
Trial running begins today on the Trillium Line, one of the final steps before Ottawa’s new north-south line opens to the public. “This is TransitNEXT’s final exam, and it will be a rigorous one,†Renee Amilcar, Transit Services general manager, told councillors and the media last Thursday.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Ottawa Public Health is recommending all residents receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall, with the updated vaccine expected to be available for high-risk individuals starting next week.
Alexandre Look, a 33-year-old Montreal native, was among the concertgoers who were murdered a year ago Monday at the Supernova music festival during a brutal assault on Israel carried out by Hamas militants. He is among at least eight people, either Canadian citizens or with ties to Canada, who died during the Oct. 7 attacks.
Celine Dion introduced the marquee Dallas Cowboys - Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday Night Football game before getting drenched by orange Gatorade.
Montreal public works crews are on the scene of a watermain break in the Plateau right next to Parc La Fontaine.
Monday is the first anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people and sparked a war that has since spread beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip.
On the anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in Israel, police departments in cities across Canada are increasing their presence in Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as at the locations of planned protests.
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. has signed a deal to buy Chevron Canada Ltd.'s interests in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project and Duvernay shale for US$6.5 billion.
The eight sons of Richard and Sarah Harvie from Gormanville, N.S., are believed to be the most siblings from one family, from either North America or the British Commonwealth, to serve in the Second World War.
New Brunswick's Liberal and Green parties are set to make announcements about health care on the campaign trail today as the provincial election race enters its second half.
The New Brunswick RCMP says a woman who went missing from Wards Creek over the weekend has been found safe.
Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.
For the 52nd week, pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in Winnipeg, calling for peace in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Winnipeg fire crews responded to a pair of blazes on Sunday, including one at a home that has been the site of multiple fires.
As Saskatchewan's population grows, a number of new constituencies have been created to account for larger numbers in certain areas, including within Regina and Saskatoon.
Saturday was not an ideal fall day for the residents of southern Saskatchewan – as winds reaching highway speeds were reported.
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel last year, and the immediate Israeli retaliation that followed, sent shockwaves throughout the world that have shaken Canada culturally and politically.
According to police, officers responded to reports of a stabbing in the area of Victoria Street North and St. Leger Street around 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall due to possible Listeria contamination for more than a dozen brands of beef jelly tongue products sold in Ontario.
As Saskatchewan's population grows, a number of new constituencies have been created to account for larger numbers in certain areas, including within Regina and Saskatoon.
A permanent memorial at the site of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash is about to be a step closer.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched a playoff spot thanks to a win over the Edmonton Elks.
More than three dozen charges have been laid against a northern Ontario man accused of fraudulently depositing cheques twice.
Scurvy is not just an archaic diagnosis of 18th-century seafarers and doctors should be on the lookout for possible cases, according to researchers following a recent case.
One person was taken to hospital after a vehicle collided with a moose on MR80 in Greater Sudbury on Saturday evening.
Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.
Permanent funding provided to London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and other hubs hopes to improve quality of life for patients on ventilators.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall due to possible Listeria contamination for more than a dozen brands of beef jelly tongue products sold in Ontario.
Emergency crews are on scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a dump truck in New Tecumseth.
Barrie residents are urged to take an online survey - or answer the phone when pollsters call - for an opinion on how tax dollars should be spent.
Fire crews are investigating a Saturday evening fire at a barn in Oro-Medonte.
A 40-year-old Windsor woman was taken off the road after OPP say she was caught speeding on Highway 3.
Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.
Just before 7 a.m. Sunday, OPP responded to the scene where officers said a vehicle struck a pedestrian on County Road 18 near Britton Road in Essex.
NDP Leader David Eby promised Sunday to support police in British Columbia to keep illegal guns off the streets and protect communities, but accused B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad of planning to make the province less safe.
The calculus of predicting an election and identifying its key battlegrounds is complex enough in any race, but observers of the British Columbia poll this month are facing a pair of unknown quantities that make the math even more confounding.
Police on Vancouver Island have made an arrest in the case of a 78-year-old woman found dead in her home almost two years ago.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.
Lethbridge police are looking for a 32-year-old man they say escaped from a psychiatric ward at the Chinook Regional Hospital.
While the summer may be over, construction season in Lethbridge is not.
Lethbridge police executed dozens of warrants and laid numerous charges in another targeted enforcement project in the downtown area.
Greater Sudbury in partnership with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, is hosting the organization's annual mining conference.
As part of an ongoing investigation, provincial police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a Kubota tractor stolen in North Shore Township, Ont., last month.
A 33-year-old man was arrested Saturday for allegedly spraying bear mace at three individuals in northwestern Ontario.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
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