Toward a Marshall Plan for Ukraine

What will it take to rebuild Ukraine when the war is over?

A report released in September by the World Bank, Ukrainian government, and the European Commission estimates that Russia’s unprovoked invasion has already caused more than $97 billion in direct damage to Ukraine – and that it could cost nearly $350 billion to rebuild the country after the war. And just for a sense of proportion, that is 1.6 times Ukraine’s $200 billion gross domestic product in 2021.

So where is all that money going to come from? On the Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with former U.S. Treasury Department official Josh Rudolph, the Fellow for Malign Finance at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy, and for Georgian Foreign Minister, Eka Tkeshelashvili, who serves as head of USAID’s Anti-Corruption Program in Ukraine. Both Josh and Eka have been working on establishing and implementing a Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Enjoy…

SHOW NOTES

The audio clips for this episode came from a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 31. The speech can be accessed here. The translations are as follows:

Opening of program:

“Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Currently, restoration work is still ongoing in those regions where Russian missiles hit today. We are doing everything possible to restore energy and water supply. And we will restore it. Russian terrorists do not have such missiles that could hit the Ukrainian desire to live, live in a civilized manner and take care of each other.” 

Opening of second half:

“Thank you to all those who make Russia get used to the idea that neither the army, nor terror, nor anything else will help them conquer Ukraine! Glory to all our heroes! Glory to our fantastic people! Glory to Ukraine!”

Links to articles referenced in the program:

An article from Reuters on the cost of reconstructing Ukraine can be found here. The two articles by Josh Rudolph and Ambassador Norm Eisen on the process of creating a Marshall Plan for Ukraine can be found here and here. The “Dekleptification Guide” produced by USAID that was referenced in the program can be accessed here.

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