Ukraine Recovery Conference: Unbreakable Ukraine Forum
June 24, 2026 | Montownia Lofts & Experience, Gdańsk, PolandContinuing its annual tradition of convening stakeholders the day before the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), GMF’s forum on the eve of URC2026 will focus on societal resilience needed to sustain the war effort. This topic reflects a major evolution in the meaning and objective of Ukraine’s recovery efforts compared to the optimism in mid-2022 about rebuilding the country.
For the past decade, the question has been what Ukraine needs from Europe. URC2026 is the moment also to ask what Europe must learn from Ukraine to safeguard continental security. As Russia threatens escalation along the EU’s eastern flank, the lesson is no longer about only drone technologies and other military capabilities, but also about the civilian preparedness and governance that has been essential to sustaining Ukrainian resolve. GMF’s forum, a half-day convening, will reframe urban recovery—hardening energy infrastructure, restoring water and heating, maintaining communications, and operating hospitals and schools—as a means to keep wartime communities inhabitable. It is no longer just about traditional reconstruction.
The roles of Ukrainian cities, regions, and civic actors in this process will be at the center of the discussions. Attendees will receive a copy of “Unbreakable Kherson”, a book co-authored by GMF researchers and the Kherson Regional Military Administration, and published on the day of this forum (June 24). It distills how Kherson’s officials governed under sustained attack into concrete lessons for European preparedness. Conversations will also address ways in which Ukraine and Europe can support each other in their mutual efforts to become unbreakable.
Agenda
Expand AllNetworking Lunch
12:00-12:30 pm
Opening and Welcoming Remarks
12:30-12:45 pm
Speakers:
- Sudha David-Wilp, Vice President for External Relations, GMF
Heidi Heitkamp, former US Senator and Board Member, GMF
Panel: Recovery Is Security
12:45-13:15 pm
Speakers:
- Michał Baranowski, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Republic of Poland
- Alona Shkrum, First Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories, Ukraine
Moderator: Christopher Burns, Co-Director, Burnstorm Communications
Every past URC has been a conversation among the development, reform, and business communities. URC2026 is the first to add the overdue dimension of security and defense. Senior officials from URC2026’s two host governments will argue that recovery and security are now inseparable, and that keeping cities livable under attack is what sustains a society’s ability to fight on. This is the nexus that GMF’s Unbreakable Ukraine forum was built to address. The conversation takes stock of how seriously the EU now treats wartime preparedness, including with the 2025 formation of the European Coalition for Civil Preparedness and Resilience. And the session will mark a planned step forward in Ukraine–EU civil preparedness cooperation, to be announced from the stage.
GMF Project Spotlight: Unbreakable Ukraine
13:15-13:20 pm
Speaker: Valeriia Ivanova, Senior Fellow, Strategic Democracy Initiatives, GMF
This spotlight introduces guests to Unbreakable Kherson, the first operational record of civilian governance under modern warfare, co-authored by GMF researchers and the Kherson Regional Military Administration. For the past decade, the question has been what Ukraine needs from Europe. This book shares what Europe must learn from Ukraine for its own security. This spotlight also previews GMF’s work with EU institutions to turn its lessons into durable civil preparedness policy. The two sessions that follow trace the book from its origins to its application in European policy.
Panel Discussion Part I: Unbreakable Kherson
13:20-14:00 pm
Speakers:
- Howard G. Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Howard G. Buffett Foundation
- Oleksandr Prokudin, Governor, Kherson Region
Moderator: Josh Rudolph, Managing Director and Senior Fellow, Strategic Democracy Initiatives, GMF
How does a regional capital keep the lights on, the water running, and hospitals open amid daily shelling? Unbreakable Kherson answers that question from the inside, and this session tells the story of how it came to be written. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin asked Howard G. Buffett to help turn Kherson’s hard-won knowledge into something others can use. The result was co-authored by the officials who made the decisions and by GMF experts who conducted research on the ground. Prokudin and Buffett share stories of survival and resilience from the front lines, contextualize their relevance to conflict mitigation strategies, and argue for these lessons to be preserved and learned before the next crisis arrives.
Panel Discussion Part II: Unbreakable Europe
14:00-14:30 pm
Speakers:
- Antje Grotheer, Chair, Committee of the Regions’ Working Group on Ukraine
- Jeppe Kofod, Chairman, Supervisory Board, NPC UKRENERGO; Marshall Memorial Fellowship Alumnus ‘04
Moderator: Olena Prokopenko, Senior Fellow, Strategic Democracy Initiatives, GMF
Part II asks what Europe will do with the lessons from Kherson. Each of the book’s 32 chapters closes with policy recommendations addressed to specific European institutions. This session moves from Kherson’s experience to Brussels’ decisions about how various EU directorates, committees, mechanisms, parliamentary committees, and other institutions can integrate the lessons of the book into the EU’s preparedness architecture.
Coffee Break
14:30-15:00 pm
A Conversation with Chrystia Freeland (Economic Adviser to Zelenskyy)
15:00-15:20 pm
Speaker: Chrystia Freeland, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Canada; Incoming Warden and CEO, Rhodes Trust; Economic Adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Moderator: Andrzej Bobinski, Managing Director, Polityka Insights
Panel: Building Resilience: Inclusive Planning in Ukraine's Public Investment Management Process
15:20-16:05 pm
Speakers:
- Anna Artemenko, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, Ukraine
- Oleksandra Betliy, Leading Research Fellow, Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, Ukraine
- Yevhen Mashyna, Deputy Director, Recovery for All (RFA)
- Viktor Nestulia, Director of Ukraine Support, Open Contracting Partnership
Moderator: Tawnia Sanford Ammar, Alinea International Ltd. Country Director for Ukraine / Recovery for All (RFA) Program Director
The panel will examine sound governance of public investment—transparent, needs-based, and digitally anchored—as a form of resilience. This institutional capacity ensures recovery resources reach people, rebuild communities, and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth. Highlighting Ukraine's evolving National Strategic Planning System and public investment management reform, speakers will discuss the decisions, tools, and partnerships that are making Ukraine's financial recovery architecture more credible, inclusive, and aligned with European standards.
Coffee Break
16:05-16:30 pm
GMF Project Spotlight: Ukraine Cities Partnership
16:30-16:55 pm
Speakers:
- Nicolas Mangon, Vice President, AEC Strategy and Marketing, Autodesk
- Justin Morey, Government Partnerships Lead, Building Design Partnership
Moderator: Dr. Hannah Abdullah, Senior Fellow, GMF Cities
The Ukraine Cities Partnership for Sustainable Local Recovery (UCP) — a flagship initiative of GMF — is a transatlantic, cross-sector coalition committed to supporting the recovery of smaller Ukrainian cities. By bringing together leading firms in urban planning, construction, and engineering, UCP strengthens municipal capacity through targeted technical assistance, while advancing resilience and civil preparedness. This spotlight showcases how UCP partners are leveraging cutting-edge technology and urban expertise to sustain Ukraine’s local recovery.
Panel: From Civil Protection to Civic Strength
16:55-17:40 pm
Speakers:
- Natalia Andriichuk, Executive Director, Resilience Alliance
- Kostyantyn Chyzhyk, Partner and Head Government Relations and Public Advocacy, Hillmont Partners
- Linda Ozola, Member of Riga City Council and former Deputy Mayor of Riga (2020-2025)
Moderator: Krista Kampus, Founder and CEO, Baltic Talks
Russia’s war against Ukraine has underscored the pivotal role of cities in delivering essential services, safeguarding residents, and preparing communities for crisis. It has also prompted cities across Europe to elevate civil protection as a strategic priority, as exemplified by the establishment of the Baltic Civil Protection Network among Riga, Tallin, and Vilnius in 2025. Bringing together municipal leaders and experts from Ukraine and the Baltic states, this session will explore local strategies for strengthening civil protection and examine the ways in which these efforts can serve as a foundation for building civic strength and long-term societal resilience.
Closing Conversation
17:40-18:10 pm
Speakers:
- Dr. Jakub Karnowski, President of the Management Board, Kredobank
- Rich Verma, Chief Administrative Officer, MasterCard
Moderator: Philip Bednarczyk, Warsaw Office Director, GMF
Closing Reception at Restauracja Gradova
18:10 pm
Location: Restauracja Gradova, Gradowa 8, Gdansk Transportation to Venue Provided
Speaker: Oleksandra Matviichuk, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
