Nearly 200 deals made at Ukraine recovery conference in Poland, organisers say

Governments, businesses and international organisations signed nearly 200 agreements, memorandums and letters of intent during a two-day conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction in the northern Polish city of Gdańsk, organizers said on Friday.

Photo:PAP/Andrzej Jackowski

The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026) brought together around 7,500 participants, nearly 70 official government delegations, more than 30 international organizations and 19 high-level state delegations, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Paweł Kowal, Poland’s government commissioner for Ukraine’s reconstruction, said the participation of about half of Ukraine’s Cabinet had made the conference „highly practical,” adding that the agreements would create jobs in Poland and across Europe while supporting the recovery of Ukraine’s economy.

The conference focused on investment, infrastructure, defence, energy, technology, regional development and Ukraine’s path toward European Union membership.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Tetiana Berezhna said information security had become an integral part of national security during Russia’s war against Ukraine.

„Trustworthy information and access to information are key conditions for our victory and our defence,” she said, adding that Russia had sought to undermine confidence in Ukraine while targeting journalists.

She said 131 media workers had been killed and 29 abducted since the start of Russia’s aggression.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said cooperation between Ukraine and Belarus’ democratic opposition had entered a new phase, pointing to her recent first bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kyiv’s appointment of a special envoy for relations with Belarusian democratic forces.

„We understand that we are fighting the same enemy—Russia’s political ambitions,” she said.

Poland’s state export credit insurer KUKE said it was expanding support for companies investing in Ukraine.

Officials also highlighted cooperation in telecommunications, cybersecurity, satellite technology and other dual-use technologies that could support both Ukraine’s defence and postwar reconstruction.

US-based energy company GE Vernova said it planned to help rebuild Ukraine’s energy sector by supplying gas turbines and investing in wind power. The company said two mobile gas turbines it had already installed in Ukraine were supplying electricity to around 200,000 households.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Polish rail manufacturer Pesa was interested in supplying additional trams to the Ukrainian capital and establishing a maintenance centre for its fleet there.

Poland’s National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management also signed an agreement with Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture to help develop Ukraine’s environmental financing system based on Polish experience.

Conference participants also launched an international initiative to restore Kyiv’s historic St. Nicholas Church, with organisers aiming to raise about EUR 1 million for the project.

Closing the conference, Kowal acknowledged that historical disputes between Poland and Ukraine had resurfaced in the weeks leading up to the event but said they had not overshadowed its main purpose.

„We clarified our differences in interpreting history,” he said. „But the priority in Gdańsk was the economy and planning for the future.”

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Polish companies stood to become among the biggest beneficiaries of Ukraine’s reconstruction, provided Kyiv continued reforms, tackled corruption and ensured transparent public procurement.

The annual Ukraine Recovery Conference aims to mobilise international political and financial support for rebuilding Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Previous conferences were held in Lugano, London, Berlin and Rome.

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Source: IAR, PAP

Radio Poland