On 18 March, the third phase of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme was presented in Kyiv. As part of the event, Oleksiy Ryabikin, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories, took part in the discussion panel ‘Local Recovery and Development: Ways Forward’. Together with Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, and Yuriy Fomichev, Mayor of Slavutych, he discussed the challenges and prospects for the restoration of Ukrainian regions.
Oleksii Ryabikin stressed that Ukraine’s recovery is taking place amidst the challenges of war, which require clear coordination and strategic vision. It is important that this process is not only fast, but also systematic and focused on long-term development.
‘Ukraine is the only country that is rebuilding during a large-scale war. At the same time, we cannot act chaotically. Planning is a key element of recovery. Therefore, it is important to understand in advance what we are doing, when we are doing it, and how much money we need. We are currently in the process of strategic planning: we are updating state strategies for regional development and helping communities approve their strategies,’ said the Deputy Minister.
The panelists also touched upon the topic of financing the recovery in 2025. Oleksii Riabykin noted that the third phase of the Recovery Programme for Ukraine, for which the selection of projects is currently underway, provides €100 million for the implementation of community initiatives. Another €150 million is expected to be allocated for the next phase of the programme. In addition, another €200 million may be allocated for social projects.
‘There are questions about the frozen assets of the aggressor country – we are working to ensure that they become a source of funding for recovery. At the same time, it is important to have a clear understanding of the budget in order to be understandable to both international partners and citizens. When we talk about prioritisation, planning and public investment management reform, we need to remember that this applies not only to the national but also to the local level,’ Oleksii Riabykin stressed.
The Ministry of Development is working on the procedure for using the funds of the State Fund for Regional Development, which was restored in 2020. We are talking about more than UAH 30 billion to support regional projects. The reform of public investment management is also underway, which will allow for more efficient allocation of funds and facilitate faster recovery of the affected regions.
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