Ukraine’s wealthiest man has spoken out and pledged to help rebuild Ukraine and the war-ridden city of Mariupol.
Rinat Akhmetov is a Ukrainian businessman and steel tycoon whose empire began crumbling after the start of conflict with Russia back in 2014.
As the owner of Metinvest, the country’s biggest steelmaker, revealed, his company can no longer meet the demand and follow its supply contracts due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Furthermore, Akhmetov insists that his industrial and financial conglomerate SCM Group has since begun servicing its debt obligations.
Despite the ongoing war in the east of the country, the businessman remains determined that Ukraine shall prevail. He also vowed to help rebuild the besieged city of Mariupol and entire Ukraine after the war is won.
“Mariupol is a global tragedy and a global example of heroism. For me, Mariupol has been and will always be a Ukrainian city,” Akhmetov told Reuters. “I believe that our brave soldiers will defend the city, though I understand how difficult and hard it is for them.”
He went on to praise President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to give up the fight for his country and said “the war is certainly not the time to be at odds” even though the two butted heads last year when the Ukrainian leader accused anti-government plotters of trying to get the businessman involved in their schemes.
“We will rebuild the entire Ukraine,” Akhmetov vowed.
The steel tycoon also took the opportunity to present some concrete plans for recovery which involve the restart of all operations in Mariupol to meet the demand for high-quality steel.
“My ambition is to return to a Ukrainian Mariupol and implement our (new production) plans so that Mariupol-produced steel can compete in global markets as before,” he added.
“For us, the war broke out in 2014. We lost all of our assets both in Crimea and in the temporarily occupied territory of Donbas. We lost our businesses, but it made us tougher and stronger.
“I am confident that, as the country’s biggest private business, SCM will play a key role in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
“We will definitely need an unprecedented international reconstruction program, a Marshall Plan for Ukraine. I trust that we all will rebuild a free, European, democratic, and successful Ukraine after our victory in this war.”
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