Лариса Зеркаль: Напрям розвитку української економіки

Ukraine needs to become appealing to both our businesses and Western ones. Whether some like it or not, this is the most effective way to bolster our economy and convince partners that we merit continued assistance.

Throughout the war, numerous conferences on Ukraine’s post-war recovery have already been held. These events showcased futuristic ideas that are quite distant from reality. Today’s reality is a war whose duration remains unknown. However, rebuilding and transforming the country is necessary now, otherwise, decline and despair await us.

To triumph and progress, we require resources, and this isn’t merely about funds for survival (or consumption). We must abandon many of our usual behavioral patterns and relinquish the victim’s role. On the contrary, we must demonstrate our readiness to assume responsibility for ourselves and fight for our future, not only on the battlefield.

Now is the opportune moment to formulate and present concrete proposals on how to increase our own GDP, augment the money supply in the economy, and enhance the skilled workforce, even during wartime. Only then can Ukraine attract foreign companies, particularly European and American ones, for joint projects or by creating favorable conditions for their business development within Ukraine.

This is precisely what we need for the country’s development, and what our partners need to explain to their societies: how their funds are being utilized. Following this logic, money will be invested in development, not consumption, fostering growth both in Ukraine and in their own nations. Such cooperation is mutually beneficial and strengthens us all.

What fuels this confidence? The past two weeks were spent in meetings in Brussels and Washington. A portion of my agenda was dedicated to a new public initiative I’ve agreed to join. Thus, we had the chance to test our joint ideas and proposals with our partners.

Here are my conclusions from these two weeks of meetings and flights:

• Everyone is willing to engage with us, especially when you bring something concrete to the table. I was received at the White House and the U.S. State Department with the same level of attention as when I held an official position. Today, more than ever, people are interested not so much in titles, but in the substance of proposals, their justification, and their feasibility.

• European and American businesses are most concerned not with the war itself, but with political risks. Yet, our partners are prepared to invest in their companies to expand their operations specifically in Ukraine. This logic benefits everyone.

• And most importantly. To continue the conversation, we must completely eliminate the breeding ground for corruption in Ukraine. This means not just apprehending individual corrupt officials, but dismantling the system that enables them. When our partners speak of “reforms,” this is precisely what they mean.

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Lana Zerkal