Big investment plan for Ukraine. Zelensky talked, among others, with the head of BlackRock

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday that he had discussed the country's reconstruction plans with the head of the US Finance Ministry, Scott Bessent, and other high-ranking representatives of the American authorities.

“We talked with the US economic affairs team for reconstruction. I would like to thank Secretary Bessent, Jared Kushner and Larry Fink of BlackRock for their complete constructiveness. An important common principle is that the reconstruction should be of high quality and economic growth after this war should be felt; the basis must be real security,” Zelensky said in an evening speech.

The president said that on Wednesday his team was actively working on a framework document on ending the war, which consists of 20 points. “Based on this document, we are developing two more documents, at least two documents, and the first one concerns security, security guarantees for Ukraine with the participation of the United States of America, and the second concerns the economy: reconstruction and joint investments“- he explained.

Zelensky said that the Ukrainian and American teams were also working on the economic document.

There were Ukrainian government officials with me on the Ukrainian side. Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, Deputy Prime Minister (Taras) Kaczka, Ministers (Foreign Affairs Andriy) Sibiha and (Minister of Economy Oleksiy) Sobolev, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Serhiy) Kyslytsa. (…) – Zelensky noted.

Zelensky announced an economic action plan and announced Europe's participation in reconstruction. “We plan to work on two other documents in the near future,” he added.

On Tuesday, Svyrydenko announced that she had a conversation with Bessent, during which the activities of the US-Ukraine investment fund for reconstruction were discussed. She added that Alvarez & Marsal has already been selected as an investment advisor.

On May 1, the US Ministry of Finance announced that the United States and Ukraine had signed an agreement on economic partnership and the establishment of a US-Ukrainian investment fund for reconstruction. As Bessent said then, this is a signal to Russia that the US is committed to peace based on Ukraine's freedom and sovereignty.

From Kiev Iryna Hirnyk (PAP)

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