Paris hosts Chernobyl repair donor conference as Kyiv rejects proposal on Donbas
Paris hosts a G7-backed donor conference seeking $250 million for Chernobyl repairs, while Kyiv rejects French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon's proposal for a referendum in Donbas.
An international donor conference convened in Paris under the French G7 presidency to raise funds for repairing the Chernobyl nuclear plant's containment arch. Organized alongside the Ukrainian government and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the meeting aims to secure $250 million toward a €500 million restoration project. Urgent repairs are required after a Russian drone strike damaged the protective shield over the reactor destroyed in the 1986 disaster.
Separately, Ukrainian officials dismissed proposals made by French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon during a speech in Le Bourget. Mélenchon suggested that residents of the Donbas region should hold a vote on whether to join Russia or remain part of Ukraine. Rebuffing the suggestion, Ukrainian representatives asserted that "Ukrainians have already voted" on their national sovereignty.
Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Libération.
Sources
- Le Figaro — À la recherche de 250 millions de dollars pour réparer le sarcophage de Tchernobyl, percé par un drone russe
- Le Monde — EN DIRECT, guerre en Ukraine : à Paris, la conférence des donateurs pour financer la réparation de l’arche de confinement de Tchernobyl a débuté
- Libération — «Les Ukrainiens ont déjà voté» : Kyiv répond aux propos de Mélenchon sur le Donbass
Earlier coverage
- Nov 11, 2026, 04:00 AM UTCAbu Dhabi talks focus on potential prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia
- Nov 10, 2026, 10:00 PM UTCPeace talks resume in Abu Dhabi as Chernobyl funding drive opens in Paris
- Nov 10, 2026, 03:30 AM UTCParis hosts Chernobyl donor conference as Kyiv rejects Mélenchon proposal
- Nov 9, 2026, 10:00 AM UTCDonors gather in Paris to fund Chernobyl repairs after drone damage