An international donor conference for Ukraine refugee aid in Warsaw has brought in donation and loan pledges totaling 9.1 billion euros ($9.9 billion).
"Our courage must be shared by all in the world," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged in a video message on Saturday.
"We want to rally the whole world to be able to help the refugees inside and outside Ukraine," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the Polish capital.
In addition to the billions in donations, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) would provide 1 billion euros in loans for displaced people, she said. The commission pledged 1 billion euros, von der Leyen announced.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a video message that Germany would provide an additional 425 million euros in humanitarian and development aid for Ukraine and its neighboring states. In addition, there would be 70 million euros in medical support. "Germany stands by Ukraine," Scholz said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's war has triggered a humanitarian crisis that is getting worse, noted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who joined the conference.
On her way to Poland early on Saturday, von der Leyen expressed shock at the Russian army's actions in the town of Bucha, where hundreds of bodies of civilians were found following the withdrawal of Moscow troops.
"My instinct says: If this is not a war crime, what is a war crime, but I am a medical doctor by training and lawyers have to investigate carefully," she told journalists.
She said she also saw firsthand how the Russian military was targeting civilians. "Residential buildings are no military target."
She said the European Commission offered Ukraine a joint investigation team.
"Because it is extremely important, that it is well documented, to prevent defeats in court because the evidence is not good enough," added von der Leyen, who visited Bucha while in Ukraine.
The donor conference was convened by the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Global Citizen, the European Commission and the Canadian government.
The money is intended for projects run by the United Nations and local aid organizations, for example. The conference was preceded by a social media campaign in which musicians, actors and athletes participated. The motto was "Stand Up for Ukraine." Pop stars from Elton John to Celine Dion called for donations.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, more than 2.5 million Ukrainians have already crossed the border into Poland. According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, a total of around 4.4 million people have already left Ukraine.
The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said this week that 7.1 million people have been forced to leave their homes but remain within the war-torn country's borders.
Before the Russian war of aggression began, 44 million people lived in the country.