By KYIV. May 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – U.S. political scientist Francis Fukuyama has become the ambassador of a new direction in the work of the UNITED24 fundraising program – humanitarian demining, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, speaking at the program’s summit in Kyiv on Friday.
“Some 170,000 square kilometers are contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance. Not all countries in the world have such an area that we must make safe,” the president said.
In addition, according to him, another new area of work of the platform will be “Science and Education” the ambassador of which will be the Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse.
“Since the Second World War, Europe has not seen such a barbarous destruction of the infrastructure of education. Hundreds of schools, dozens of universities are in ruins,” the president of Ukraine said, adding: “these Russian strikes are not accidental.”
Zelenskyy said “in the first year, the platform focused on three sectors – defense and demining, medicine and restoration of the country.”
“The UNITED24 platform is helping to create a fleet of sea drones, and it’s great, it’s exciting,” he said, noting that “we are equipping our soldiers with Shahed catchers, drones that are so needed on the fronlines.”
“There are already thousands of different drones,” the head of state said, adding “we are helping to train drone operators.”
According to Zelenskyy, the work of the platform proved: “global fundraising in defense is real.”
According to him, due to the platform, over 100,000 units of medical equipment for hospitals, some 200 ambulances, high-class resuscitation vehicles were purchased. This helps to save lives in the frontline areas, which are subject to daily shelling. In particular, thanks to the platform, the restoration of two Chernihiv hospitals started.
“During the winter period,” the president said, “dozens of countries, companies, organizations began to help with energy equipment that were needed to get through the winter. Hundreds of generators were bought through the platform, including for hospitals.”
“Some 110 countries of the world are represented in this room now. Thousands of human hearts who believe in the power of unity,” Zelenskyy said, adding “in the first year, the platform has become a global brand,” having raised over $330 million.
