Gdańsk as the Centre of the Debate on Ukraine's Reconstruction

The two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), co-organised by Poland and Ukraine, has opened in Gdańsk.

“I am proud that so many of you, prime ministers, presidents, chairpersons, entrepreneurs and managers, have come to Gdańsk. Over two days, thousands of people will together prepare a great project: the project of rebuilding Ukraine after the war,” said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the opening session of the URC.

The conference is a continuation of the international format initiated by the G7 states and the donor platform for Ukraine. Its aim is to coordinate efforts to rebuild the country and to mobilise the investment necessary to carry out this process.

“We expect the signing of more than 160 agreements worth 10 billion euros,” announced Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

She noted that they will have an impact across many dimensions, regional and business development, as well as defence.

Prime Minister Tusk drew attention to the historic challenges facing Europe and the Western world today: the unification of Europe and the free world in the face of aggression, and of the uncertainty that has gripped much of the globe in recent years. He observed that today we all believe Ukraine will withstand Russian aggression, and that the reconstruction of Ukraine will be possible thanks to our solidarity.

“Our support for Ukraine is consistent and unwavering, to help achieve a just and lasting peace,” declared the President of the European Council, António Costa.

Ukraine will receive the first payment of 3.2 billion euros from the EU loan worth 90 billion euros.

“We continue to call on all our partners to maintain their support, because a strong, independent Ukraine is in our interest,” appealed the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

The European Union's ambition is not only to help Ukraine and Europe, but to help Ukraine grow and prosper as a free European country, which is why the EU has become its largest investor there.

Reconciliation and Solidarity as the Foundation of a Shared Future

The choice of Gdańsk as the venue for this exceptional meeting was no accident. The city carries a special symbolic dimension.

“It was here that the greatest misfortune of modern Europe, the Second World War, began. Here you can see with your own eyes what the miracle of reconstruction means,” recalled the Prime Minister.

Gdańsk was raised from ruins to become one of the most spectacular examples of reconstruction in the world. The rebuilding encompassed not only the city's historic fabric but also its spirit and identity.

“Ukraine rightly wants to be part of a united Europe. The condition for true, full unification has always been an understanding of one's own history, and a genuine capacity and readiness for reconciliation,” said the head of government.

It was in Gdańsk that the war began which divided the nations of Europe and seemed to rule out, permanently, any possibility of understanding between them. Today Poles, Germans, French and British are partners and allies, which shows that it is possible to speak about the past honestly and in accordance with historical truth, so that our future may look different.

“We can build the future only on truth, on mutual respect, on an understanding of history. The solidarity that was born in Gdańsk can become our reality, if we open our hearts and minds to the past, but above all to the future,” said Donald Tusk.

During the conference, agreements will be signed between Polish and Ukrainian entities that will serve to deepen economic relations. On the margins of the URC, the Prime Minister is holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of various states, including World Bank President Ajay Banga, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev.