Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a Marshall Plan for his country’s post-war reconstruction as he addressed the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on Thursday.

“We are working to create a grand coalition for the recovery, for the reconstruction,” Zelensky said.

“This must be the moment for reconstruction to begin. Еverything that Russia destroyed can be rebuilt.

“This coalition needs countries, leaders, and businesses all working together to rebuild our society.

“What we need is a clear recovery and resilience plan. A bit like the Marshall Plan, when it transformed and rebuilt Europe some time ago”.

Zelensky also stressed the need to invest in air-defence systems, with his country coming under heavy Russian bombardments every night.

“Unfortunately, too many drones and too many missiles have hit us,” he said.

“We must stop this. This must be done through more investment.

“We must intercept the drones, we need new missiles, we need new defence systems.

“I encourage all our partners to increase funding, increase investment. Because, given what Russia is doing, we cannot forego funding to produce drones.” (see related stories).