Ukraine and Poland are preparing to host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk this June, with a dedicated security and defense component to be included for the first time.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko outlined the plans in a post on X after the “Road to URC” event in Rzeszów, Poland.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
She said the new dimension will place defense alongside key pillars of recovery, including energy, private sector development, human capital and infrastructure reconstruction, as Ukraine moves toward EU membership.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s defense industrial production capacity has grown 50-fold, and nearly half of the weapons used by Ukrainian forces are now produced domestically, Svyrydenko wrote.
She said Ukraine has one of the fastest innovation cycles in modern warfare, with some technologies moving from idea to battlefield use in as little as three months. These include drones, ground and maritime systems, electronic warfare tools, counter-drone solutions and new missile types.
Svyrydenko said Ukraine is ready to expand defense cooperation and integrate its defense industry into the European space through the “Build with Ukraine” and “Build in Ukraine” initiatives, which aim to support joint ventures and localize production in Ukraine and partner countries.
During her visit to Rzeszów, Svyrydenko also met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and thanked Poland for its consistent support of Ukraine.
Svyrydenko also said Ukraine and Poland are strengthening cooperation between Naftogaz and ORLEN. She thanked Tusk for his role in unlocking the 20th sanctions package and a €90 billion EU loan, saying Ukraine expects the first tranche to arrive quickly to support defense capabilities and budget needs.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Ukraine will help Poland develop a large-scale “drone armada,” drawing on Kyiv’s extensive battlefield experience.
Tusk said Poland’s drone development plan would be supported by “technical expertise and drone competencies of Ukrainian partners,” according to Polish outlet Interia Wydarzenia.
“I am proud to open this new chapter in building Polish security together with you, and proud that our partner in this endeavor is the country with the most experience in what determines control of the skies today,” Tusk said.
