Ukraine Reconstruction – Global Event Intelligence Summary

Here is a sampling of Whole News Company coverage of webinars related to the reconstruction of Ukraine. All events were attended with permission, and no other media were present. Slide presentations are included, where available.

From three events, Whole News reports:

• A world exclusive: The insurance facility that enabled ships to carry grain out of Ukraine despite the war will now expand to include all commercial products, enabling $20 billion in annual exports, one of the negotiators says.
• Executives from Ahlers and other logistics-focused firms escalate warnings that cumbersome customs procedures and dual-use regulations could slow the reconstruction of Ukraine.
• The Ukrainian government debt chief predicts the country’s debt cost will be lower than expected when the war ends, and he talks for the first time about the so-called “Trump trade.”

Brief #1

ALERT: Ukraine’s war-risk insurance for grain shipments to expand to all goods

Takeaways

• The Unity Facility that insured grain exports out of Ukraine is now expanding to cover all non-military cargo, a negotiator of the facility said in a webinar.
• The facility is now expected to unlock up to $20 billion in trade annually.
• Officials from Lloyd’s and US export-credit agencies discussed adapting similar blended-insurance models for aviation, logistics, and reconstruction projects.
• Journalist’s observations: The credibility of the information is very high. Mr. Ellison has a reputation among journalists for impromptu disclosures.
• Materials: Below is Mr. Ellison’s slide deck from the presentation, which does not cover the facility’s expansion.

The Whole News

The insurance facility that has enabled ships to carry grain out of Ukraine via the Black Sea despite the war is now expanding to include all products, enabling $20 billion in annual exports, one of the facility's organizers said.

The Ukrainian government will announce the expansion on Friday, said Crispin Ellison, a partner at Oliver Wyman, a consultancy of insurance brokerage Marsh McLennan, on a webinar hosted by the US-Ukraine Business Council.

"We've now expanded that facility to cover shipping carrying all cargo, not just grain," said Ellison. "That is, in essence, a tripling of that facility, which we will be formally launching on Friday but it's available now."

The program was created by Marsh McLennan and the Ukrainian government, and underwritten by Lloyd’s of London to insure grain ships for up to $50 million each against war-related risks.

"Overall, opening up the Black Sea export corridor is worth about 6-8% of Ukraine's GDP," he added. "That's a relatively small amount of insurance capital enabling exports of about $20 billion."

Event: Rebuilding Ukraine: Political Risk Insurance
Speaker: Crispin Ellison — Partner, Oliver Wyman (Marsh McLennan)
Hosts: US–Ukraine Business Council and US Department of Commerce
Date: February 28, 2024
Format: Online webinar (Zoom), 60 minutes, ~80 participants

Brief #2

Customs delays and dual-use controls emerging as key bottlenecks in Ukraine reconstruction, says Ahlers Logistics

• Ahlers Logistics executive Jeroen De Ryck said customs clearance remains “the single biggest bottleneck” for reconstruction shipments.
• Expanding dual-use controls, overlapping agencies, and inconsistent documentation rules are delaying imports of materials and machinery.
• Speakers urged creation of a “fast-track” lane for reconstruction cargo modeled on humanitarian aid corridors.
• Materials: Below is Mr De Ryck’s slide deck from the presentation, as well as the Baker McKenzie slide deck titled Logistics in Ukraine – Legal Risks.

The Whole News

Spotty availability of railway wagons, congestion at Black Sea ports, complex insurance mechanisms, a lack of truck drivers and the risks of military strikes pose serious challenges to firms looking to ship goods to Ukraine, says Jeroen De Ryck, business unit director for industry and energy at Ahlers Logistics.

He said the system’s fragmented paperwork, overlapping agencies, and expanding dual-use controls have turned border crossings into major choke points, delaying materials for infrastructure and industrial projects. De Ryck, whose company has been in Ukraine for 30 years, urged policymakers to introduce standardized documentation, EU-aligned certification, and digital pre-clearance tools.

"The biggest challenge was, and is, customs clearance," he said at a logistics webinar organized last week by the Swiss-Ukrainian Reconstruction Agency (SURA). "We really emphasize the fact that preparation is key."

Speakers from Baker McKenzie, Zurich Insurance, and other firms agreed that simplifying customs is essential to converting pledged reconstruction funding into functioning supply chains.

Peter van Aalst, Senior Transport and Logistics Consultant at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), added that harmonizing inspection and clearance standards with Poland and Romania could immediately reduce border processing times by up to 40%. Others urged Kyiv to create a ‘fast-track’ lane for reconstruction cargo, similar to humanitarian aid corridors, while maintaining military compliance requirements.

Participants recommended establishing a joint EU–Ukraine working group to clarify permissible goods and publish pre-approved item lists to prevent repeated case-by-case approvals.

Event Details

Event: Rebuilding Ukraine: Infrastructure and Logistics
Speakers:

• Jeroen De Ryck, Business Unit Director, Industry & Energy, Ahlers Logistics
• Peter van Aalst, Senior Transport and Logistics Consultant, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
• Alexandra Weber, Partner, Baker McKenzie (Zurich)
• Martin Vogt, Senior Underwriter, Zurich Insurance

Hosts: Swiss–Ukrainian Reconstruction Agency (SURA)
Date: May 12, 2025
Format: Online webinar (Zoom), 60 minutes
Participants: Representatives from Ahlers Logistics, Baker McKenzie, Zurich Insurance, and SURA

Brief #3

Ukraine debt chief says bonds reflect ‘Trump trade,’ sees cheap post-war borrowing

Takeaways

• Yuriy Butsa, Ukraine’s debt commissioner, said restructuring and concessional financing have positioned Ukraine to borrow at near-U.S. Treasury rates after the war.
• Butsa said eurobond prices now reflect investor bets on the war’s duration, including optimism that a Donald Trump election win could hasten peace.
• Ukraine expects to leverage €50 billion in frozen Russian assets via a World Bank–managed facility for reconstruction lending.

The Whole News

Speaking on a small investor webinar this week, Ukraine’s debt chief Yuriy Butsa said the country’s bonds are now trading on “bets about the duration of the war,” linking recent price gains to speculation that a Donald Trump election victory could hasten an end to the conflict.

“It’s quite funny — some of the bonds are traded on the prospects of U.S. elections,” Butsa said on a webinar organized by AHK Ukraine, the German-Ukrainian chamber of commerce. “The market thinks there’s a possibility of a quicker end to the war and a quicker recovery.”

Butsa added that with the country’s debt restructuring now complete and long-term concessional financing secured from allies, Ukraine is well-positioned for low-cost post-war borrowing to fund reconstruction.

“Our blended cost of debt is 4.6%, the same as for the U.S. Treasury,” he said, noting that the average maturity of external debt has risen to more than 14 years from nine in 2022. “Once the war is over, this will be well reflected in Ukraine’s rating profile.”

Event Details

Event: Debt Restructuring and Future Budget Financing Plans
Speaker: Yuriy Butsa – Government Commissioner for Public Debt Management, Ministry of Finance of Ukraine
Host: AHK Ukraine (German-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
Date: October 17, 2024
Format: Online talk, ~60 minutes