Rebuilding the Crossroads of Ukraine: Bridging the Gap Between Damage, Recovery and European Aspirations

Russia first invaded Ukraine 2014, ramping it to full-scale war in February 2022. The end of this war is uncertain, and the price of the continued war is already immense. About 20% of Ukraine’s territory has been occupied with the total infrastructural damages amounting to almost its entire 2024 GDP. The combined economic losses and infrastructural damages make up more than 2.5 times of Ukraine’s 2024 GDP. Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine is already rebuilding—although at a limited scale—and has so far been able to reconstruct around 4–4.5% of its damaged infrastructure and housing stock. The reconstruction and recovery efforts require joint efforts and coordination from Ukraine and its partners and donors. A huge challenge will be to strike a balance between the urgent reconstruction needs and a more sustainable development path in accordance with the EU acquis and sustainability goals