Ukraine, US Officials Set to Discuss Reconstruction Plans in Geneva Meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that his country's negotiators will sit down with American officials Thursday in Geneva to discuss post-war rebuilding efforts. The talks will focus on what's being called a "prosperity package" and preparations for potential future negotiations that could include Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Wednesday that his nation’s diplomatic team will sit down with American officials Thursday to hash out plans for rebuilding Ukraine after the war ends.

Speaking to journalists through a WhatsApp media session, Zelenskyy revealed that the discussions will center around what he called a “prosperity package” designed to help Ukraine recover from years of conflict.

The meeting in Geneva will bring together Ukraine’s top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, who serves as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law to the American president.

“First, it will be a bilateral meeting with the American side. The first question is the prosperity package, which is the package for Ukraine’s recovery, and they will discuss the details,” Zelenskyy explained to reporters.

The Ukrainian leader also indicated that Thursday’s talks would lay groundwork for a three-way meeting potentially including Russian representatives, which Kiev hopes to arrange for early March.

Rebuilding Ukraine has emerged as a central issue in broader discussions about ending the conflict, which has now stretched into its fifth year. The war’s destruction from aerial bombardments and ground fighting has left the country facing massive reconstruction needs.

Ukrainian leadership is seeking approximately $800 billion in combined public and private investment over the next decade to restore their nation. A recent World Bank analysis released Monday put the reconstruction price tag at $588 billion, based on damage assessments from February 2022 through the end of 2025.

Ukraine is positioning itself as an attractive investment opportunity for when it joins the European Union, though any significant funding commitments hinge on achieving a ceasefire and peace agreement that remain out of reach.

Earlier diplomatic efforts this month saw Ukrainian and Russian representatives hold their third U.S.-facilitated meeting of the year, but those talks produced no major progress on core disputes, particularly regarding territorial issues.

Zelenskyy also mentioned that Thursday’s discussions would address arrangements for prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.