The German Economics Team at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026
The German Economics Team participated in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2026, held in Gdańsk, Poland, and represented by our experts Garry Poluschkin and Robert Kirchner. Bringing together more than 7,000 participants, the conference and its side events served as a key international platform for discussions on Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and long-term economic resilience, with representatives from governments, international financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
Ahead of the URC, we contributed to a side event “German business in action – Insights on investment climate, resilience and procurement” organised by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy on investment, resilience, and procurement in Ukraine. Garry Poluschkin presented key findings on the development of foreign direct investment in Ukraine, while Robert Kirchner moderated an interview with Oliver Gierlichs, President of the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and CEO/CFO of Bayer Ukraine focussing on Ukraine’s investment climate.
The discussion highlighted the crucial role of private investment in Ukraine’s recovery, the need to strengthen conditions for foreign direct investment, and the progress already made in improving the investment climate. Attended by more than 100 German business representatives, the event underscored the strong interest of German companies in supporting Ukraine’s economic reconstruction and long-term development.
As part of the URC programme, Robert Kirchner participated in a panel discussion organised by the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) on the topic “How to Better Connect Ukraine with Europe”. Together with Margus Tsahkna, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roman Nitsovych, Research Director at DiXi Group, and Konrad Popławski, Coordinator for Connectivity and Regional Integration at OSW, he discussed the opportunities and challenges of strengthening Ukraine’s economic integration with the European Union through enhanced connectivity.
The Ukraine Recovery Conference offered us a valuable platform, reflecting our long-standing commitment to supporting Ukraine’s economic development. Both URC and the preceding side event provided valuable opportunities to exchange views with partners and stakeholders, contribute our expertise to ongoing policy discussions, and strengthen existing cooperation.
A central theme throughout the conference was the importance of preparing Ukraine’s reconstruction already during the war, with a strong emphasis on the principle of “Build Back Better”. The high level of international participation demonstrated continued political and economic support for Ukraine, while the strong presence of businesses highlighted the private sector’s essential role in the country’s recovery. German companies, in particular, showed considerable interest in expanding cooperation with Ukrainian partners.
We would like to thank our partners, the organisers, and all participants for the valuable exchanges and look forward to continuing our contribution to Ukraine’s economic recovery and European integration.
