The URC 2026 Conference on Ukraine's Recovery Kicks Off in Poland with a Record Number of Participants
On Wednesday, June 24, the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine (URC 2026) kicks off in the Polish city of Gdańsk, bringing together a record number of international delegates and business representatives.
The first day of this large-scale event will feature dozens of preliminary side events, as well as key meetings of the Steering Committee of the Ukrainian Donor Platform and the G7+ Coordination Group on Energy for Ukraine.
The official opening of the forum, attended by heads of state and government, is scheduled for Thursday morning.
This year’s summit in Poland demonstrates an unprecedented level of interest from the international community and private capital.
Organizers have recorded record attendance and engagement from foreign partners planning to join the efforts to rebuild Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy.
“This year’s conference, judging by what’s on our laptops, is even bigger than the one in Rome,” noted Michał Gergon, Deputy Director of the Department for Enlargement and Eastern Neighborhood Policy at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a thematic business breakfast hosted by BDO Ukraine.
In total, about 9,000 applications were submitted to participate in this large-scale event, and over 5,000 official participants are expected to arrive in Gdańsk.
The conference program includes a record 60 side events, clearly organized into five key thematic areas: 19 events are dedicated to business, 7 to European integration processes, 15 to human development, 11 to local and regional development, and 8 to security and defense issues.
During the first day’s sessions, special attention was paid to Ukraine’s fuel and energy sector in light of upcoming challenges.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the G7+ Coordination Group on Energy, Ukraine will present a strategic document titled “Strategy and Priorities: Actions Through Winter 2026/2027; Long-Term Priorities. Reforms.”
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, and Polish Minister of Energy Milosz Motyka are participating in these discussions.
The official opening ceremony of URC 2026 will begin on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. local time and will be accompanied by a live online broadcast.
Following the conclusion of the ceremonial portion, parallel panel discussions, workshops, and a specialized think tank forum will begin.
An important practical component of the conference will be the signing of dozens of concrete financial and security agreements.
According to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Oleksiy Kuleba, the total value of the agreements and memorandums scheduled for signing will exceed 1.5 billion euros.
A large-scale international conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction, URC 2026, will take place in Gdańsk
“The conference in Gdańsk will take place regardless of who tries to disrupt our work,” said Tusk
