Today's Contents
Reporter's Notepad:
- Ukraine Rebuild Newswire named official media partner of Foreign Investment Congress 2025
Just The Facts:
- US holds talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia ahead of discussion with Russia
- US seeks to expand terms of Ukraine minerals deal, sources say
- MS Amlin commits up to €110 million in reinsurance capacity for EBRD, Aon's Ukraine scheme
- Ukraine's MHP signs deal to buy 41% of Spanish poultry producer Uvesa
- TCW Funds, Lazard, Siemens execs visited Kyiv before Trump-Zelensky clash to discuss reconstruction, Bloomberg reports
- Netherlands to allocate €65 million to Ukraine Energy Support Fund
- South Korea picks Ukraine for economic partnership program as it eyes role in reconstruction, Chosun Biz reports
- EU to support independent media in Ukraine with additional €10 million
Here's What They Think:
- Alliance magazine: Philanthropy's role in Ukraine's rebuilding
- Chicago Tribune: Eisenhower-Rhee diplomacy offers lessons for Trump-Zelensky relations
Sober Second Thought:
- UN report highlights widespread violations of children's rights due to conflict in Ukraine
The Rebuilders' Social
- Posts from Proparco, a newly created Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Ukrainian Railway, and former DFC official John Moran.
Dear subscribers,
Ukraine Rebuild Newswire to be official media partner of Foreign Investment Congress 2025
We are pleased to announce that Ukraine Rebuild Newswire will be the official media partner of the Foreign Investment Congress 2025, to be held in Kyiv on May 15-16.
Our founder and Editor in Chief Adam Brown will personally cover the event, which will bring together investors, companies, government officials, local communities, and international financial institutions to discuss Ukraine's economic recovery.
For more information and registration, please see https://cutt.ly/feCvPRDU
The Congress, organised by Foreign Business Hub and EUCONLAW Group, is a new communication platform for foreign investors, international financial institutions, private funds, regional businesses, representatives of diplomatic missions in Ukraine, local communities and government officials.
The goal is to bring together all stakeholders interested in creating equal conditions and transparent rules for attracting international capital, mobilising the private sector in the process of rebuilding Ukraine’s sustainable economic potential, preserving human capital, and supporting the reintegration of military personnel.
Event participants will discuss the role and functions of diplomatic missions, financial and other international organisations in Ukraine’s recovery, resource mobilisation, and investment opportunities in sectors such as energy, agriculture, transport and logistics infrastructure. The potential for public-private partnerships to develop the social infrastructure of local communities will also be explored.
Special attention will be given to the challenges of investing in human capital and knowledge development, supporting veteran businesses, implementing digital solutions and innovative financial instruments that will help accelerate the country’s economic transformation.
Join us and become part of a community dedicated to the important mission of transforming and rebuilding Ukraine, laying the foundation for its economic revival and sustainable development!
US holds talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia ahead of discussion with Russia
The US envoys and Ukraine's representatives held talks on Sunday in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh to discuss proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure in the war with Russia, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.
The negotiations took place a day before the US delegation is set to meet Russia's representatives, also in Riyadh.
"We're working through a number of complex technical issues — our delegation includes energy experts as well as military representatives from the naval and air components," Umerov wrote in a post on X shortly after the meeting started.
Following the meeting, Umerov wrote that the discussion was "productive and focused," and that key issues, including energy, were addressed, without elaborating.
On Monday, the American and Russian teams will mainly discuss ways to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said last week, as quoted by Reuters.
The meetings come after US President Donald Trump last week had phone calls with both Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, securing a 30-day halt on attacks on energy infrastructure between the two countries.
The agreed partial ceasefire, however, quickly came into question, as both sides reported ongoing strikes, according to media reports.
In the readouts of the calls with Putin and Zelensky, the White House said that the technical teams of the US and Ukraine, and separately the US and Russia, will meet in the Middle East to discuss expanding the ceasefire to the Black Sea, which would eventually lead to a full ceasefire.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Sunday expressed optimism about the negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
"I think you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that you'll naturally gravitate to a full-on shooting ceasefire," Witkoff told Fox News.
US seeks to expand terms of Ukraine minerals deal, sources say
The US government seeks revised agreements on access to Ukraine's critical minerals and energy resources, expanding its economic demands, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing unnamed Ukrainian officials.
The White House seeks specific terms on the ownership and control of a joint investment fund envisaged in the minerals deal with Ukraine, along with a wider scope that could include US stakes in other key assets, such as Ukraine's nuclear power plants, according to the officials.
The Trump administration had reportedly not yet presented Kyiv with new terms. "But I realize that … they're working on a bigger agreement,” one of the officials told the FT.
On Thursday, Trump had said the US will soon sign the minerals deal with Ukraine. "We're doing very well with regard to Ukraine and Russia. And one of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine," Trump told reporters in the White House.
The agreement for the US and Ukraine to jointly develop Ukraine's mineral resources was initially set to be signed during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington on Feb 28. The deal was, however, put on hold after a contentious exchange between Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office.
The US and Ukraine have previously agreed on the broad terms of a deal that envisions the establishment of a fund into which Ukraine would contribute 50% of proceeds from the "future monetization" of state-owned mineral resources, including oil and gas, and associated logistics.
Earlier last week, during a phone call with Zelensky, Trump discussed Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants, saying that the US could help run those plants with its electricity and utility expertise, according to a readout of the call from the White House.
"American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure," the readout said.
During an online briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Zelensky, however, told the FT that his discussions with Trump focused solely on one nuclear site—the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Situated 650 kms southeast of Kyiv along the Dnipro River, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been under Russian military control since March 2022, with all six of its reactors remaining in "cold shutdown" mode, as per the FT.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council told the FT that "an economic partnership related to critical minerals, energy and economic growth for both nations remains a discussion," adding that: "We have moved beyond it at this point to focus on a broad ceasefire and path to lasting peace."
MS Amlin commits up to €110 million in reinsurance capacity for EBRD, Aon's Ukraine scheme
UK-based reinsurer MS Amlin has committed up to €110 million in reinsurance capacity over five years to support war risk policies underwritten by three Ukrainian insurers through a scheme developed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and professional services firm Aon.
MS Amlin said it had bound the €110 million Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee Facility, announced in December, committing €80 million in reinsurance capacity under the scheme, increasing to €110 million over five years to support war risk policies underwritten by INGO, Colonnade, and UNIQA.
The scheme could provide Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with up to €1 billion in annual coverage, MS Amlin said in a press release on Friday.
The EBRD backed the scheme, which enables MS Amlin to transfer the exposure off its balance sheet, as per the statement.
"By addressing a gap in reinsurance, this scheme will help boost business confidence, protect supply chains, and drive economic growth. The facility highlights how specialist insurers can unlock investment in high-risk regions and demonstrates the key role of public-private partnerships in rebuilding Ukraine," said Martin Burke, MS Amlin's Chief Underwriting Officer.
The facility will initially cover inland cargo, motor vehicle damage, and railway rolling stock, but is expected to expand to a broader range of assets as market demand evolves, the EBRD has said.
France, the UK, Norway and the Taiwan Business-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund are the initial backers of the facility. The European Union and Switzerland have pledged donor support.
Ukraine's MHP signs deal to buy 41% of Spanish poultry producer Uvesa
MHP, Ukraine's largest poultry producer, said it has signed a share purchase agreement with shareholders representing over 41% of Uvesa, a leading poultry supplier in Spain, as it looks to strengthen its presence in the European market.
Under the terms of the deal, MHP will purchase shares at a fixed price of €225 each, with an additional potential payment of up to €21.43 per share, depending on certain post-closing conditions.
The agreement also allows other UVESA shareholders to join the agreement within one month of signing, MHP said in a press release on Friday, noting that the completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.
"For MHP, expanding in Europe is about building strong partnerships, driving innovation, and creating a lasting impact. UVESA, with its solid reputation and deep roots in Spain, is a natural fit for MHP's vision of sustainable growth and contribution to the country's economic development," said John Rich, MHP Board of Directors Executive Chairman.
MHP submitted a binding offer to acquire Uvesa in December, saying at the time that the acquisition was subject to 50.01% approval from shareholders.
Besides raising and processing poultry, Uvesa raises and processes pigs and owns various animal feed manufacturing centers. According to its website, it has more than 1,600 shareholders.
MHP is the largest producer and exporter of chicken in Ukraine. It exports over 50% of its production to more than 70 countries, with key markets in the Middle East, the European Union, and Africa. In addition, MHP is one of Ukraine's leading exporters of vegetable oils.
In 2008, MHP became the first Ukrainian agricultural company to secure foreign equity capital through an IPO on the London Stock Exchange.
TCW Funds, Lazard, Siemens execs visited Kyiv before Trump-Zelensky clash to discuss reconstruction, Bloomberg reports
Sixteen executives including from Ukraine's creditors TCW Funds and Lazard Asset Management as well as multinational firms such as Siemens AG traveled to Kyiv days before the contentious meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb 28, to discuss reconstruction of the war-torn country with local officials, Bloomberg reported.
Ukraine's First Deputy Economy Minister Oleksiy Sobolev, who met with the investors in Kyiv, said the discussion focused on boosting foreign direct investment, reconstruction efforts, anti-corruption measures, and legislative reforms aimed at strengthening ties with the European Union.
"We also discussed key sectors for attracting private capital, interest in privatization, access to financing and how to decrease risks for investors," Sobolev told Bloomberg.
Arif Joshi, the co-head of emerging-market debt at Lazard, who attended the Kyiv meeting, said in the Friday report that Ukrainian officials talked of a window for a peace deal remaining open until Easter.
"We are still constructive on Ukrainian assets. There are many different vectors for a positive outcome in Ukraine," Joshi told the news agency.
While in Kyiv, the investors received constant reminders of how a peace deal would be difficult to achieve, according to Bloomberg. Each night, air raid sirens blared around midnight, followed by bursts of gunfire and tracer flashes targeting incoming drones and projectiles. A central bank meeting room they visited had its windows boarded up after a nearby explosion shattered them.
Organizers of the meeting, a US-based consultancy Signum Global Advisors, chartered a train car for the 800-kilometer (500-mile) trip from the Polish border to Kyiv, as Ukraine's airspace remains closed. For the return trip, the group hired vans to drive them to Warsaw.
Signum Chairman Charles Myers expects Ukraine's reconstruction to become the main global investment topic and is preparing another trip to Kyiv. "We will be back," Myers told Bloomberg.
Netherlands to allocate €65 million to Ukraine Energy Support Fund
The Netherlands will provide €65 million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund as it looks to further support the war-torn country's power system, Ukraine's Energy Ministry said.
"This is significant support for us, and it will be an important contribution to the repair campaign that is already underway in preparation for the next heating season. Thanks to these funds, we will be able to partially cover urgent needs," said Ukraine's deputy Energy Minister Roman Andarak.
Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, the Netherlands has sent to Ukraine 211 shipments of energy equipment with a total weight of almost 3,000 tons, the ministry said in a press release on Saturday.
Contributions to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund so far total about €1 billion, with more than 30 donors including European Union member states, the UK, the US, and various international and regional organizations, the Ukrainian government said earlier this month.
The fund was launched in April 2022 by the Ukrainian Energy Ministry and the European Commission under the Energy Community Secretariat.
South Korea picks Ukraine for economic partnership program as it eyes role in reconstruction, Chosun Biz reports
South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance has selected Ukraine among the countries for its 2025-2026 Economic Innovation Partnership Program (EIPP), which aims to enhance economic cooperation between Korea and the partner states while supporting the expansion of its private sector into global markets, Chosun Biz reported on Saturday.
"This is a follow-up to what President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed during their summit in May 2023. As the war is expected to conclude, we are now able to pursue economic reconstruction cooperation," an unnamed South Korean government official told the newspaper.
South Korea's EIPP is a government-led policy consultation program targeting various countries which is designed to support sustainable economic and social development while fostering mutual economic cooperation. It helps partner countries by formulating mid- to long-term development strategies, establishing legal and institutional frameworks, planning infrastructure projects, and creating financing strategies over multiple years.
According to South Korea's government, Ukraine is advancing smart city and industrial complex development in the Kyiv region to drive economic recovery and industrial transformation. It also plans to boost regional economies by developing hub cities and enhancing infrastructure, Chosun Biz reported.
South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance will undertake two Ukraine-related EIPP projects: creating an economic development roadmap and a comprehensive infrastructure plan for the Kyiv region, as well as formulating a sustainable energy transition strategy for the area.
The ministry also plans to offer policy advisory support on urban development, transportation and energy infrastructure, business growth, and investment attraction, according to the report.
The government plans to detail the EIPP project plans by the end of this year and immediately start implementing the projects, with a budget of 1.535 billion won ($1 million) allocated for the advisory cooperation, Chosun Biz reported.
South Korea's government aims for this EIPP to enhance the chances of domestic companies securing contracts for major infrastructure projects in Ukraine. By building connections with senior officials from EIPP target countries during the advisory process, the likelihood of our companies winning related project bids is expected to increase.
"We will track the outcomes, including whether local policies are reflected in completed projects, and identify follow-up projects. We will support the entry of our corporations," an unnamed official from the Ministry of Economy and Finance told the newspaper.
EU to support independent media in Ukraine with additional €10 million
The European Union (EU) will provide a further €10 million to support independent media in Ukraine, building on the €37 million the bloc has already allocated in grant funding since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022.
"Since Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, local journalists have shown relentless bravery, risking everything to report the truth from the front lines. Their work doesn't just inform—it holds power to account and remains crucial in Ukraine's path to the European Union," said Katarína Mathernová, EU Ambassador to Ukraine.
Of the total funding, €3 million will be allocated to Internews Europe to support media in war-affected regions and promote investigative journalism and €2 million to Reporters Without Borders to protect at-risk journalists and support small media outlets, the EU delegation in Ukraine said in a press release on Friday.
Institute for Mass Information, the Kyiv-based NGO whose objective is to defend journalists' rights, will get €3 million, while a further €1 million will be allocated to smaller-scale projects.
In addition, €3 million will be allocated through a new call for applications in May that will focus on strengthening local and regional media outlets and supporting investigative journalism in Ukraine, as per the statement.
Since 2017, the EU has invested over €100 million in independent media in Ukraine.
Alliance magazine: Philanthropy's role in Ukraine's rebuilding
Philanthropy is crucial to Ukraine's post-war recovery, particularly when balancing immediate humanitarian aid with long-term resilience, Viktoriia Zablotska, a project manager at the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development, wrote for Alliance magazine.
Zablotska highlights that, unlike governments or large institutions, philanthropy has the flexibility to take risks, explore innovative solutions, and drive transformative projects, helping Ukraine's recovery and providing a blueprint for future crisis response and resiliency worldwide.
Chicago Tribune: Eisenhower-Rhee diplomacy offers lessons for Trump-Zelensky relations
President Trump’s heated Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy echoed Eisenhower's diplomatic struggles with South Korea's President Syngman Rhee during the Korean War, Seung-Whan Choi, a professor of Korean politics and international relations at the University of Illinois Chicago, wrote in a commentary for the Chicago Tribune.
Eisenhower faced resistance from Rhee, who opposed the armistice and sought a stronger security commitment from the US. Despite tensions, the US ultimately secured a ceasefire and signed the US-South Korea Mutual Defense Treaty. Choi argues that a potential agreement between Trump and Zelenskyy could offer even greater benefits as Ukraine possesses vast reserves of natural resources that are essential to US national security.
UN report highlights widespread violations of children's rights due to conflict in Ukraine
The hostilities and occupation of Ukrainian territory by Russia have led to widespread and systematic violations of children's rights, according to a report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Between Feb 24, 2022, and Dec 31, 2024, at least 669 children were killed and 1,833 injured in the conflict, many due to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, the report states. The actual toll is likely much higher due to challenges in documenting casualties, particularly in occupied territories where access is severely restricted.
The destruction of critical infrastructure—homes, schools, and hospitals—has further deepened the humanitarian crisis for children in Ukraine.
Beyond the immediate dangers, the report highlights long-term risks, particularly from the widespread presence of landmines and explosive remnants of war. Ukraine is now one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, posing a persistent threat to children's lives for years to come.
Displacement has also taken a heavy toll, with approximately 737,000 children internally displaced and 1.7 million living as refugees outside Ukraine. Many have been separated from their parents, particularly fathers, due to conscription laws and border restrictions.
The situation is especially dire in the four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia in 2022, where children have faced systematic human rights violations, including forced deportation, arbitrary detention, and conflict-related sexual violence. OHCHR has verified that at least 200 children were deported from or forcibly transferred within occupied territory.
In addition, Russia also imposes its citizenship and education system in occupied territories, forcing Ukrainian children to adopt Russian nationality, swear allegiance to the Russian state, and follow a school curriculum that justifies war while failing to respect Ukrainian cultural identity, the report said.
The war has also devastated Ukraine's education system, with at least 1,614 attacks damaging or destroying schools, according to the report. While Ukraine has implemented measures to ensure continued learning, frequent air raid alerts and attacks on energy infrastructure have made consistent schooling nearly impossible.
The report underscores the urgent need for accountability and action to protect Ukrainian children. Acknowledging and addressing these violations through legal and humanitarian measures is essential to helping affected children reclaim their rights and rebuild their futures, the authors state. The international community, including governments, civil society, and humanitarian organizations, must work together to provide protection, support, and justice for these children.
The OHCHR report is based on research including 1,578 interviews with victims, witnesses, human rights defenders, civil society representatives, medical professionals, teachers, and government officials. It also includes findings from 101 field visits, 16 visits to care institutions and shelters, seven visits to places of detention, and one court hearing in Ukraine-controlled territory. Despite repeated requests, Russia has denied OHCHR access to the occupied territories.
Social Media Posts
French Development Finance Visits Kyiv
Djalal Khimdjee, deputy CEO of French development finance institution Proparco, recapped his few days in Kyiv and Lviv, including meetings with several government officials, local banks, Ukrainian companies and private equity funds.
"Nothing replaces on-the-ground engagement," he posted. "Direct interaction with local players is essential to gain a nuanced and practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities — far beyond what we see in the media."
New Chamber of Commerce Created
The Czech-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry & Commerce was formally created in a ceremony last week, with the primary mission to "strengthen business relations, facilitate investment opportunities, and support the reconstruction and sustainable development of Ukraine."
"Facilitating connections is at the core of the Chamber’s mission 🔗💼. It organizes trade missions, trade fairs and exhibitions, conferences, workshops, networking events, and business forums 🌐📊🎤, enabling companies to establish partnerships and discover new investment opportunities."
Ukrainian Railway Makes Overlay for First Time Since 2022
Yevgen Shramko, member of the management board of JSC Ukrainian Railway, posted that Ukrainian Railway's Repair and Production division has started producing railway overlay for the first time since the full-scale invasion.
The company had been relying on salvaged rail overlay, which is "essential for connecting railway tracks, ensuring the safety and stability of rail traffic," since the destruction of the Azovstal plant, which produced it, in 2022, he said..
Ukraine-Focused Senior DFC Staffer Resigns
John Moran announced that he resigned from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) where he served as senior adviser to the chief operating officer - Ukraine recovery initiatives.
"I’m looking for Senior Consultant, Senior Business Advisor, and Counselor roles with particular interest in mobilizing and de-risking investment in Ukraine and transitioning economies," Moran wrote.
URN Daily: Sense Bank and Ukrgasbank for sale? And US seeks to cancel $4.7 billion of Ukraine's debt
