The two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference concluded in Rome, Italy on Friday, with prospect of reconstruction remaining largely theoretical due to lack of a ceasefire agreement.
The conference, co-hosted by Italy and Ukraine, gathered senior European officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, leaders from Germany, Poland, Greece, Albania, and a U.S. special envoy.
Speaking at the conference on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the international community to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and increase support for Ukraine's post-conflict reconstruction.
The meeting took place amid reports of intensified drone strikes on Kiev. Citing the growing military threat, Zelensky emphasized the role of external investment, describing "increased investment" as a way to stop drone and missile attacks.
On Wednesday, Zelensky met U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Keith Kellogg in Rome, with discussions centered on arms supply and strengthening air defense as drone and missile attacks continued unabated.
Earlier this month, the U.S. media outlet Politico reported that Washington had halted shipments of some air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine over allegedly low stockpiles.
On Friday, Zelensky confirmed the resumption of U.S. military aid to Ukraine. But the future of these aid supplies remains uncertain given the U.S. stated priorities for its own interests and continued reluctance to grant Ukraine NATO membership.
This underscores the challenging reality facing Ukraine, where the reconstruction efforts are hampered by the prolonged conflict.
A joint report by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations estimates that Ukraine will need 524 billion U.S. dollars over the next 10 years.
According to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, participating countries had pledged a total of 10 billion euros (around 11.7 billion U.S. dollars) to encourage investment in Ukraine.
The European Commission also unveiled a new 2.3 billion euro package of agreements with international and bilateral public financial institutions to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts.
While the conference showed investment opportunities in various sectors across Ukraine, the focus on attracting capital raised concerns about potential exploitation of the country's resources, including energy, minerals, and defense industries.
Ukraine Recovery Conference concludes with focus on funding, not peace
