A Stand Up for Ukraine event taking place Saturday saw $4.6 billion in grants and $5.5 billion in loans pledged for humanitarian efforts being undertaken by Ukraine and other European countries, UN agencies and grassroots organizations to support all those impacted by the Russian invasion.
The European Commission pledged $1.1B, with countries participating including Canada ($80M), Belgium ($904M), Croatia ($111M), Czech Republic ($222M), Estonia ($111K), Finland ($778M), Ireland ($58M), Italy ($400M), Malta ($55K), Slovakia ($595M), Sweden ($333M) and Qatar ($5M). Companies pledging their support included Blue Bottle Coffee, Bridgewater Associates, Cisco, The Coca-Cola Company, Continental Development Corporation, Crush Music, CSL Behring, DocuSign, Farmamundi Foundation, Google, Nestlé, Nespresso, Twitter, Verizon, The Foundation at Sanofi, Seadream Family Foundation and Sun Life.
The Council of Europe Development Bank pledged $1.1B in loans, with European Investment Bank pledging $4.4B, which still requires approval by its board of directors. Additionally, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development confirmed it will allocate $1.1 billion out of a previously announced package of $2.25 billion on March 9, specifically for projects in municipalities impacted by the crisis. Donations from nearly 5,000 citizens of 66 countries amounted to more than $500,000.
The pledging event was convened by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in partnership with Global Citizen, with the participation of Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, and with British journalist Isha Sesay serving as moderator.
“It’s not only Ukraine fighting for its sovereignty and integrity, but they are also fighting for the question of whether humanity will prevail or whether heinous devastation will be the result,” said Von Der Leyen. “We want to rally the world for refugees, inside and outside Ukraine, to support them.”
“Your voice, donations, and advocacy are making a real difference. You’re helping provide food, water, shelter, and medical aid for refugees who had to flee their homes — so thank you,” said Trudeau. “Together, let’s keep working to mobilize governments around the world, private companies, and the people in our communities to support refugees from Ukraine and, indeed, support all Ukrainians.”
“Convince your politicians. Stay with Ukraine,” added Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a speech to citizens around the world. “Stay with Freedom. Stay with Bravery.”
More than 4.4 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia’s February 24th invasion, with a total of 6.5 million people currently displaced within the country.
The Stand Up for Ukraine pledging event was preceded by a starry Social Rally on April 8, which featured the participation of artists, athletes, entertainers, advocates and citizens from around the world.