Paris conference helps raise $1 billion for Ukraine

ANKARA

The international, “Standing with the Ukrainian People,” conference in Paris helped raise 1 billion euros ($1 billion) for Ukraine Tuesday.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said France will assist non-governmental organizations in the field to work faster.

France will also give support to keep power plants running in the south of Ukraine.

The new mechanism of coordination revealed earlier in the conference will keep €2 million ready for urgent situations, said Colonna alongside Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a news conference.

She said many countries and organizations outside Europe and friends of Ukraine will join the mechanism.

The French minister also noted that the Iranian envoy in France should and will soon be summoned because of drones used in Ukraine by Russian forces.

Shmyhal thanked countries, France in particular, for their solidarity with Ukraine during the conference.

"We will use this support to overcome winter," he said.

He also criticized Iran for providing drones to Russia and said: "Iran is an accomplice of the war crimes committed by Russia."

At the beginning of the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced an additional support package of €125 million for Ukraine -- €48.5 million for humanitarian matters and €76.5 million for energy needs.

Macron said his country has already provided €151.5 million in assistance to Ukraine since the war between Moscow and Kyiv started in February.

He also said a reinforced coordination mechanism for international aid to Ukraine will be implemented.

*Writing by Nur Asena Erturk