Ukraine and US Officials Meet in Geneva to Plan Post-War Rebuilding Efforts

Ukrainian representatives are meeting with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Geneva to discuss reconstruction plans following the ongoing war with Russia. The talks focus on a major funding package to help rebuild Ukraine's devastated economy, with officials hoping to secure around $800 billion over the next decade.

GENEVA – Ukrainian representatives gathered with American officials Thursday in Geneva to plan for the massive task of rebuilding their war-torn nation, even as peace talks with Russia remain stalled.

The discussions involved US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, who met with Ukrainian negotiators around midday. Officials indicated the Ukrainian team would not make public statements following the session.

These reconstruction conversations center on what’s being called a “prosperity package” – a comprehensive funding plan designed to restore Ukraine’s battered economy after years of devastating conflict.

Witkoff and Kushner also scheduled a separate meeting Thursday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, marking their third round of indirect discussions about Iran’s nuclear activities, with Oman serving as mediator.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held a phone conversation Wednesday with President Trump, where both leaders agreed that upcoming three-way negotiations with Russia in March should pave the way for a summit between the nations’ top leaders to address the most challenging remaining disputes.

“This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war,” Zelenskiy stated following the call, which included participation from both Witkoff and Kushner.

Planning Ukraine’s reconstruction has emerged as a crucial component in broader diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to a close, as the war marked its fifth anniversary this week.

Ukrainian officials are working to secure approximately $800 billion in combined public and private investment over the coming decade to restore their nation.

A fresh World Bank evaluation released Monday calculated that Ukraine’s economic recovery will require an estimated $588 billion, based on damage assessments from February 24, 2022, through the end of 2025.

American officials continue pushing Ukraine to find pathways toward ending what has become Europe’s largest military conflict since World War Two, though significant gaps remain between Moscow and Kyiv’s positions.

Representatives from Ukraine and Russia participated in US-facilitated discussions last week in Geneva – their third such meeting this year – but achieved no major progress on critical disagreements, particularly regarding territorial control.

Moscow demands that Ukraine surrender the remaining 20 percent of the industrial Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control, while Kyiv refuses to abandon territory that thousands of its citizens have died defending.