Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed priorities for the reconstruction of his country with the newly appointed US Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery, Penny Pritzker.
In the meeting in New York on Wednesday, Zelensky "emphasized the importance of participation of American business in the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion," the presidency said in a statement after the meeting. "In particular, these are schools, kindergartens, residential buildings, and energy facilities."
The statement said Zelensky and Pritzker discussed "the priority regions of our country for reconstruction, as well as support for the most promising sectors of the Ukrainian economy," but gave few other details.
Also on Wednesday, Pritzker offered opening remarks at the CEO Roundtable on Ukraine Economic Recovery in New York, comparing the reconstruction of Ukraine as "both a sprint and a marathon."
"We need to plan for a long-term sustainable, digital, clean, competitive, European Ukraine, integrated into global markets. That’s the marathon," she said. "But we need results now also, and to jumpstart revival and give the Ukrainians and give the people confidence to come home and to start building towards the future. That’s the sprint."
She also said that a "big part of my portfolio is working with the private sector to not just remove the barriers to investment, but really to encourage companies in a variety of sectors of the economy, particularly in energy, transportation, logistics, agriculture, critical materials, and IT technology."
Pritzker was named to the newly created role of Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery last week. She reports to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
