Rebuilding Ukraine starts NOW!

It is very difficult to write about efforts to rebuild Ukraine, while the active war is going on there. As these words are being written, innocent men, women and children are dying and property is being destroyed by a vicious dictator and hiZ troops. Triage is what is most urgently needed right now – weapons, medicine, supplies, help for the 3+million refugees. Those are absolutely essential and many countries of the World have come together to provide such help. May be not everything that Ukraine needs and is calling for, but real help nevertheless.

IF, like me, all those who think that Ukraine will emerge victorious, badly scarred, but victorious and independent, then the most important help we can provide to Ukraine immediately after the war is economic. Rebuilt, stronger and striving Ukraine will be a better and more beautiful country and will be the best vindication to the aggressor. Economically healthy Ukraine will be the best assurance of its prosperous, safe and independent future.

Granted, real rebuilding cannot begin until lasting peace and stability in the country are achieved and any rebuilding plans made now will definitely need to be rethought and adjusted multiple times prior to commencement. There are, however a number of fundamental things, which can be done starting today and which will absolutely be applicable to to any rebuilding process and which will save significant time and resources, once the actual rebuilding commences

I am not talking about charity and aid – that’s the proverbial fish for a day, I am talking about a superb fishing rod factory, which would allow Ukraine to fish and bootstrap itself out of this hell and into prosperity.

No matter what the final territorial footprint looks like after the war ends, Ukraine will urgently need to restore its airports, ports, bridges, communications towers, improve nuclear powerplant security, revisit energy fuel supply and generation capacity, rebuild residential and commercial buildings, schools, kinder gardens, theaters, monuments. Of course, its unique agricultural infrastructure will need to be assured of ample supplies of fertilizer, farming equipment, storage capacity and access to both internal and external markets. Ukraine will need to restore its exports, rebuild its tourism and reignite foreign direct investment. Ukraine will need to modernize its healthcare and return to their homes both internally displaced persons and those who left abroad. As its is being rebuilt, Ukraine will need to position itself for the next 100 years and develop its vast reserves of rare earth metals for electric vehicle and computer component industries. Ukraine’s IT industry has an opportunity to become a global powerhouse. The country will also need to become energy independent and work to develop it vast oil/gas reserves. All these activities will need to take place, while de-mining, and clearing vast quantities of rubble and abandoned military equipment are ongoing.

One bitter lesson Ukrainian people learned during this war was that despite all the help, they are on their own when it comes to actually fighting for their own country’s survival. The same logic shall apply to maintaining the economic activity during the war and reinvigorating it forward, once the war ends. Ukraine should use Western technical assistance, supply of goods and services and funding to jumpstart its economy starting now and going forward. Yet, it should rely on its considerable internal resources to lead the economic recovery and not become beholden to anyone.

Despite seismic events of the last 30 days, Ukrainian authorities have thus far done a remarkable job keeping the country functioning on many fronts – banks are still open, people still go to work in regions where there is no fighting, comms and social networks are up, supply lines and logistics are in fair shape and farmers are planting the next harvest. Arms, medical supplies and humanitarian aid have been flowing and the Ukrainian fighters have done a remarkable job upsetting Putin’s plans.

Even with the most optimistic projections the Rebuilding Phase will take at least a decade. Thus the quicker the country begins the preparation, the quicker it will be able to get back on its feet. What can be done now?

Find out at a special Zoom Information session, which will be held Friday, April 8th at 10am EST. To request an invitation please send a one paragraph email to management@rebuildingUA.com introducing yourself, your company and skills/products/services you think may be useful to the efforts of Rebuilding Ukraine.