WASHINGTON -- The ambassadors of Poland, Germany, and Britain and the former foreign ministers of Spain and Georgia on May 17 said that reconstruction efforts in Ukraine are already under way, even with the war far from over and with formal plans for reconstruction still in the formative stage.
The diplomats, who spoke during an online panel discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, said plans for reconstruction are under discussion, but that for now Ukraine is repairing infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks while at the same time it takes steps toward long-term reconstruction expected to begin in the coming months.
EU Ambassador to the U.S. Stavros Lambrinidis emphasized the critical role private investment efforts are playing in the reconstruction strategy.
“Already, there are discussions ongoing in the United States and Europe with private industry about what opportunities will be there and what needs will be there for real, profitable investments,” he said.
WATCH: A reconstruction "battalion" called Dobrobat has attracted thousands of volunteers since launching one year ago. Most are Ukrainians working to rebuild their country, but many foreigners have joined to share the sometimes risky work.
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The Foreign Volunteers Helping To Rebuild Ukraine
Eka Tkeshelashvili, the former foreign minister of Georgia, echoed Lambrinidis on the evidence of progress on reconstruction, saying that bridges and roads as well as badly damaged communities such as Bucha are already being rebuilt.
“You see how much is being accomplished in a matter of days,” she said.
The panel also discussed Ukraine’s focus on the continuing process of political reform in light of Ukraine’s goal of becoming a member of the European Union and NATO.
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Ukraine was granted candidate status in June to join the EU, four months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
After the official start of negotiations, which can take years, the European Commission will have to assess whether Kyiv meets the criteria for EU membership in terms of good governance, corruption eradication, democratic freedoms, and the rule of law.
Lambrinidis noted that Ukraine is “rapidly making progress towards these needed reforms” even as they fight “the bloodiest war in recent history.”
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All panelists agreed that economic stabilization is a high priority security category.
British Ambassador to the U.S. Karen Pierce emphasized the importance of private investment, pointing to the Ukraine Recovery Conference scheduled to take place in June in Britain.
The conference will seek to encourage private investment in the areas of Ukraine most affected by bombing, and Pierce called for all of Ukraine’s allies to come together in support of this effort.
Tkeshelashvili, who recently served as head of the European Anti-Corruption Initiative to Ukraine, touched on the drive of Ukrainian citizens to rid the country of corruption.
“We are engaged on a daily basis with partners in different institutions on setting up compliance mechanisms [and] structural reforms that are geared towards the conditionalities of the requirements for the membership of the EU,” she said.
Ukraine is ready to embrace political reforms, she said, noting that every public opinion poll has shown that good governance, rule of law, and anti-corruption remain high on the agenda.
All the diplomats agreed that the reconstruction of Ukraine is already a top priority of Ukraine’s European neighbors.
Polish Ambassador to the U.S. Marek Magierowski said a prosperous Ukraine is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s worst nightmare, and the progress thus far again shows that whenever Moscow opposes a nation, "that nation turned out a stronger country after the rubble has cleared.”