President Maia Sandu’s remarks at the fourth edition of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome

 

Your Excellencies,

President Zelenskyy,

Prime Minister Meloni,

Colleagues,

Let me begin by thanking President Zelenskyy for his leadership — and the Ukrainian people for their extraordinary courage. Moldova understands clearly: your resistance protects not only Ukraine, but Moldova as well. We do not take that for granted.

Thank you, Prime Minister Meloni, for co-hosting this important conference and for keeping Ukraine’s recovery firmly on the agenda.

Planning for reconstruction while war still rages is not easy — but it sends a vital message: Ukraine is not only resisting, it is preparing to rebuild. To thrive. 

Still, we must be honest. None of this will matter unless Ukraine can defend itself — now. For Ukraine’s recovery to happen, Ukraine must resist. And for Ukraine to resist, it needs more, and faster, military support.

For Moldova, this is not theoretical. Ukraine is our neighbour, our partner, and our fellow future EU member. We share a long border — 1,200 kilometers. We share infrastructure. And we share a future.

When the invasion began, Moldova stepped up. We hosted refugees — now 4% of our population. We sent humanitarian aid, trained Ukrainian deminers, supported Solidarity Lanes, and advocated for justice for war crimes.

But most importantly, we understand that our security is shared. As we approach parliamentary elections and face growing Russian interference, we cannot afford for our 1200 km border with Ukraine to become a hostile one. 

A strong, democratic Moldova is a reliable security partner. Our stability reinforces Ukraine’s, just as Ukraine’s resilience strengthens ours.

Moldova will also be a practical contributor to Ukraine’s recovery. We are ready to serve as a key economic and logistics corridor, especially for Ukraine’s south — from Odesa and Mykolaiv to Kherson, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia.

Moldova offers:

– Geographic proximity, for speed, efficiency and sustainability.

– Secure infrastructure and transport links.

– A reliable, business-friendly environment.

We are expanding our Danube port, building multimodal terminals, and improving roads and railways connecting Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. We’re strengthening electricity links and cross-border gas security with both Ukraine and Romania. Moldova has also significantly enhanced its own energy security — so here too, partners will find stability.

To our EU partners, we say: help us fast-track the infrastructure that ties us to Ukraine — and to Europe. It’s an investment in our shared resilience.

But let me close where I began: Ukraine’s ability to rebuild depends first on its ability to defend itself. That means bold, immediate, and sustained support — military, economic, and political.

Ukraine has shown the courage to fight and the vision to rebuild. Moldova stands with you — consistently and unconditionally. 

Thank you.