On July 2, 2026, the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum held a public discussion “URC 2026: Key Signals from Gdansk” dedicated to summing up the results of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026.
The aim of the event was not only to exchange impressions from URC 2026, but also to jointly reflect on the key signals of the conference, assess their significance for the further recovery process and European integration of Ukraine, and identify priorities that should form the basis for preparations for the next Ukraine Recovery Conference in Tallinn. During the discussion, the participants discussed how the philosophy of international support for Ukraine is changing, what role communities and civil society play in these processes, and what steps Ukraine needs to take over the next year to make the most effective use of the opportunities created by URC 2026.
Key discussion questions:
- What was the main message you took away from URC 2026?
- What topic or discussion caught your attention the most?
- What has changed the most compared to previous recovery conferences?
- What decisions or outcomes do you expect after the conference?
- What should Ukraine do over the next year to make the most of the opportunities created by URC 2026?
Opening remarks:
Ruslan HAVRYLIUK, National Coordinator, Ukrainian National Platform EaP CSF
Speakers’ Interventions
Inna Pidluska, Deputy Executive Director, International Renaissance Foundation Vira Nedzvedska, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, East Europe Foundation Oleksandr Nikolaiev, Deputy Director, Department of International Cooperation and European Integration, Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Ihor Koliushko, Chair of the Board, Centre of Policy and Legal Reform Olha Remeshevska, Director, Department of Recovery and Development, Vinnytsia City Council Iryna Mykulych, Head of Fundraising and Partnerships, Recovery and Development Agency Nataliia Drozd, Director, Dobrochyn Centre Olha Polunina, Head of the Climate Change and Energy Policy Programme, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Kyiv Office – Ukraine Marcin Walecki, Country Director, National Democratic Institute (NDI) Ukraine Pavel Havlíček, Research Fellow, Association for International Affairs (AMO) Iryna Kuropas, Project Manager, Yavoriv Local Economic Development Agency Olena Volkova, Deputy Director, Alliance of Ukrainian Civil Society Organizations Anna Ackermann, Coordinator, Build Ukraine Back Better (BUBB) Iryna Myronova, Executive Director, Zero Waste Lviv Taras Yatsenko, Head, Tvoye Misto Media Hub
The discussion proved that the Ukraine Recovery Conference is gradually changing its role. If the first conferences were primarily focused on mobilizing international support and financial resources for the restoration of Ukraine, today the URC is increasingly becoming a platform for forming a common vision of the country’s future, discussing reforms and finding partnerships. Participants repeatedly emphasized that the conference should not be seen only as a place where new aid packages are announced. Equally important is its function as a space for professional dialogue, exchange of experience, formation of new partnerships and development of common approaches to reconstruction. That is why informal meetings, networking and cross-sectoral interaction between authorities, communities, civil society, business and international partners are gaining more and more importance.
One of the key themes of the conference was the inextricability of the connection between the reconstruction of Ukraine and the process of European integration. Reconstruction is no longer considered a separate direction of state policy, but is increasingly integrated into the process of reforms necessary for accession to the European Union. A symbolic confirmation of this was the opening of the negotiation Cluster 1 “Fundamentals”, which will determine the pace of the negotiation process as a whole. At the same time, the participants noted another important feature of this year’s conference – for the first time, security and defense issues have become one of its cross-cutting components. This testifies to the awareness of international partners that sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine is possible only if security is ensured, and investments in reconstruction are inextricably linked to guarantees of state defense.
A separate block of discussion was devoted to the role of civil society in the recovery process. The participants positively assessed the holding of the Civil Society Forum on the eve of the URC and the adoption of the joint Gdańsk Address, which for the first time formed a consolidated vision of the role of civil society in the recovery of Ukraine. There was a common opinion that civil society organizations have long ceased to be only implementers of individual projects or external observers. Instead, they are increasingly acting as strategic partners of the state, capable of shaping the agenda, determining reform priorities, communicating the real situation on the ground to international partners, and ensuring effective public control over the recovery process.
An important conclusion of the discussion was the evolution of the role of Ukrainian communities. If a few years ago they were mostly perceived as recipients of international aid, today they are increasingly acting as equal partners of international donors, European municipalities, and governments of other states. Participants emphasized that it is the local level that best understands the real needs of people, and therefore recovery priorities should be formed “bottom-up”. It is also indicative that Ukraine is gradually moving from the role of a country that only receives aid to a country that offers solutions, shares its own experience in crisis management, and shapes the international recovery agenda.
The participants also drew attention to the need for further expansion of the conference’s topics. Along with the traditional issues of infrastructure, financing and reforms, more and more attention is being paid to the development of human potential, social cohesion, culture, tourism, ecological restoration and other areas that directly affect people’s quality of life. At the same time, it was emphasized that people-centeredness should remain the main principle of all recovery policies. The needs of people and communities should determine the content of reforms, investment programs and international support, and recovery should be carried out in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and environmental responsibility.
Along with the positive changes, the participants noted a number of aspects that need further improvement. In particular, there were opinions about the need to strengthen the intersectorality of discussions in order to avoid isolated discussion of individual topics, to ensure more interaction between representatives of different sectors and to form a comprehensive vision of recovery. Attention was also drawn to the need for a more ambitious discussion about the future of Ukraine. According to the participants, representatives of state bodies should not only respond to today’s challenges, but also demonstrate a strategic vision of the country’s development after the end of the war. Equally important is the broader presence of the subject of the restoration of Ukraine in the international media space, because support for Ukraine largely depends on the extent to which this subject remains in the focus of public attention.
Summing up the discussion, the participants agreed that the Ukraine Recovery Conference is gradually emerging as a long-term international platform that sets guidelines not only for governments and donors, but also for communities, civil society, business and international partners. Already today, preparations for URC 2027 in Tallinn are seen as an opportunity to continue the discussions that have been initiated, to strengthen the regional dimension of cooperation, in particular with the participation of the Baltic countries, and to further integrate the issues of European integration, community development, sustainable recovery and intersectoral partnership into the agenda of the future conference.
Information provided by Natalia Andrusevych, Coordinator of WG3 UNP
Video discussion
The event was held within the project “Supporting the Activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF in 2025–2026,” implemented by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting with financial support from the European Union. Individual opinions expressed at the event are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.
