The below is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Shejal Pulivarti:
Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with Ukraine’s Minister of Communities and Territorial Development (MCTD), Oleksiy Chernyshov, to discuss Ukraine’s urgent need for repairs to its infrastructure and energy sector, two routine targets of Putin’s war. The meeting also included a delegation of representatives from the Government of Ukraine, including Ambassador Oksana Markarova, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territorial Development Ivan Lukeria, Government Commissioner for Public Debt Management Yuriy Butsa, Advisor to the Minister for Communities and Territorial Development Oleksiy Lukashuk, and acting head of the economic section of the Embassy of Ukraine Volodymyr Muzylov.
The Government of Ukraine has developed a National Recovery Plan to shape how Ukraine will build back from the destruction caused by Russia’s war. During the meeting, the Ukrainian delegation presented the first phase of this plan, called the Rapid Recovery for Survival, and its Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, which it prepared with the World Bank.
Administrator Power reaffirmed USAID’s commitment to Ukraine’s long-term relief, recovery, and reconstruction, and noted the importance of transparency, accountability, and efficiency in that effort. She emphasized that USAID assistance will prioritize catalyzing Ukraine’s growth as an independent, democratic, prosperous country; consolidating the gains Ukraine has already made over its 31 years of independence; and connecting Ukrainians to each other, to their national, regional, and local governments, and to partners who are committed to Ukraine’s success.