The main result of the conference on Ukraine recovery in Lugano, Switzerland, was to bring together the countries and institutions that will help Ukraine, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas has said.

"I think the main result of the Lugano conference was to bring together these countries and institutions including international financial institutions that will help Ukraine. It was a show of solidarity. Money transfers are nice and pledges and statements by individual politicians, leaders who come here and those who President [of Ukraine Volodymyr] Zelensky addresses via video links – it is of course all nice, fine and necessary but it's also very good to get together in one room (thank God we can do it again after Covid) and feel this solidarity. This I think was the main achievement," he said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.

Some recovery is already ongoing including with the EU assistance, the diplomat said.

"Still small but there is a fund where EU member states pay in to restore the electricity lines for instance. When you say recovery, reconstruction then you sort of automatically think – when the war is over and Ukraine will have won. Actually reconstruction needs to be done simultaneously and Ukraine is doing this pretty effectively, restoring bridges," Maasikas said.

He added that several countries, partners and institutions like the EU Commission made their pledges during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano.

"This is also very important. Prime Minister [of Ukraine Denys] Shmyhal presented Ukraine's preparations – also very important, because it will have to be done by Ukrainians, it cannot be anybody else. Financing comes from where it comes from but the work will be done here and a solid Ukrainian structure needs to be in place. It seems to us that Ukraine is pretty well ready for that," the EU Ambassador said.

He also stressed that the principles of transparency must be observed.

"Whatever are the circumstances the taxpayers of the countries that will come to help will want to know that corruption risks are down and transparency, normal competition comes in building back better and greener," Maasikas said.

At the same time, he said it is only fair that the aggressor must pay for recovery of Ukraine and Russian assets that have been confiscated should be put to this purpose.\

"It is only fair that the aggressor must pay. Russian assets that have been confiscated across your partners should be put to this purpose. It's a very straightforward principle – not that easy to implement here. As far as the EU is concerned different national legislation comes in. Italy for instance who has the experience of confiscating people's money in its fight against the mafia has a solid legal framework in place, other countries may not have this," the diplomat said.

Maasikas stressed that on top of that how much ever this brings – contributions will be needed by the countries, institutions, financial institutions.

"These discussions are still open: how will this look like, how will the money be channeled, through how many different platforms or funds. The truth is also that the amounts, the needs are growing every day, but we are talking in any case of the hundreds of billions of Euros. Managing these very different sources and very big money - it takes expertise that is not really there because the case is so unique. So this all still takes time," he said.