An international donor conference with the participation of more than 45 countries and 20 international organizations is taking place in Paris on December 13, the purpose of which is to support Ukraine against the background of constant Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in his speech opening the conference, called Moscow's bombing of civilian objects a war crime. He said the Kremlin is attacking civilian infrastructure because its forces have failed on the battlefields.
"Moscow's intention is to plunge the Ukrainian people into despair," Macron said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking via video link, said that 12 million Ukrainians suffer from power outages. According to him, the country needs electricity generators as urgently as armored vehicles and body armor for the troops.
The Paris conference should focus on helping Ukraine meet its water, electricity, food, health and transport needs in the coming months until the end of March.
French organizers of the meeting say the aid action will also send a message to the Kremlin that the international community supports Ukraine against Russian aerial bombardments that have devastated Ukraine's energy system and other key infrastructure.