The Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister, Olexandr Kubrakov, trusts in the support of European countries to facilitate the supply of diesel and gasoline in his country, where shortages can be see in lines to be able to fill the tanks of the cars.
In an interview with EFE at government facilities in kyiv, Kubrakov explains that the government is working on the reconstruction of infrastructure to facilitate distribution and exports now blocked.
Railways and highways have been major targets of the war, to the point that have been destroyed throughout the country 300 bridges that in some areas it is now difficult to rebuild.
“We are rebuilding the bridges because we have internal logistics problems,” says the minister, who points out that this is one of the reasons that complicates gasoline and diesel distribution in Ukraine ia, where at most gas stations it is only allowed to fill 10 liters per car and service station.
Kubrakov understands that in the European market as a whole, the situation with fuel is difficult, that there is a great demand now and that some countries are trying to make some reservations or waiting for the Russian embargo.
“Our situation right now is more complicated because we are at war”
“We understand, but our situation right now it is more complicated because we are at war”, says Kubrakov, who trusts that the European countries, “either those closest to Ukraine or those that are in the middle or those that are further west”, will confirm the supply volumes of diesel and gasoline sufficient to supply one year or more. “For us now it is very important to stabilize the internal market”, he says.
The minister is holding talks with the governments of Romania and Poland to expedite the entry of ships loaded with fuel for Ukraine.
Specifically, Kubrakov mentions the ports of Constanta (Romania) and Gdansk (Poland) and asks the governments to explore whether there is any possibility that in the next month the entry of their ships in Gdansk: “There are many ships with our diesel for Ukraine, bought by Ukrainian companies, sometimes waiting for weeks”.
Ukraine needs to operate in those ports because its, on the Black Sea, are all blocked. “The situation is very difficult because almost 80 percent of our exports were made through the Black Sea,” laments the minister, who mentions the complications in the export of wood and agricultural products.
The government is working on reorienting the logistics channels to the West (towards the border with Poland) by road and increasing the capacity of the roads of train.
“We are considering all the options that can help us. It is a bit complicated to do it in a few weeks, it normally takes years and we are trying to do this exercise in a few months”, he explained.
All airports have been damaged in Ukraine
In relation to the airports, he stated: “All of them have been damaged, some totally destroyed and others partially”, and acknowledges that it has been prepared for when an airport would work in the event that the airspace is reopened inmate: “It is not our priority, our priority is export.”
As for road transport, the head of Infrastructure in the government of Volodimir Zelensky explains that they are focusing on the r Repair of high-class international highway bridges such as kyiv-Lviv, kyiv-Kharkov, kyiv-Warsaw or kyiv-Chernigiv. “Without repairing these bridges, our large cities they will be like islands”.
Most of them may be restored by the end of this year, but not the big roads like Chernigivni.
The minister assured which is also making an effort to recover the trains because passenger transport is a priority. In addition, since the beginning of the war at least 10 a thousand homes have been destroyed.
“All we have poured the internal resources of the country into the army and into social payments”, he explains and is waiting to see if any special aid package from the European Commission materializes.
Before After the war, the Ukrainian government launched a large-scale construction plan to modernize the country, which it admits has now come to a complete standstill. “The number one priority is the army and all expenses related to the war”, remarks the minister.
Your department works side by side with the army to help them with what they need, and there are workers who rebuild roads around Kharkov, an important task to facilitate the delivery of military equipment or the evacuation of wounded soldiers.
Some countries will participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine
Olexandr Kubrakov says that some European countries have confirmed to their government that they will participate in the reconstruction of regions; Great Britain, for example, will help in the kyiv area (and in adjoining municipalities such as Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka, Gostomel); Denmark will participate in the reconstruction of Mikolaiv, and there are other cases.
“We will present the plan and other European countries will be able to choose to support the reconstruction of regions and cities”, he comments.
Admits that more support can always be received, but Olexandr Kubrakov expresses the Ukrainian government’s perception that the international community it supports much more than before the invasion, and mentions the European Union, Great Britain, Canada and the United States. “This is not just our war,” he tells EFE in reference to international involvement.
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