BRUSSELS The European Union on Thursday pledged to ramp up its financial and political support for Ukraine at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, aiming to mobilize up to €10 billion ($11.7 billion) in new investments for the country's reconstruction and long-term development. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa unveiled a series of new initiatives and reaffirmed Europe's unwavering backing for Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine war,