Between 7 and 12 September, a delegation of the New Strategy Center, composed of George Scutaru, CEO, and Ecaterina Dadiverina, Coordinator of Ukraine Projects, is conducting a fact-finding visit to Kyiv, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the security situation in Ukraine and, in particular, in the capital Kyiv, in the context of the massive bombing campaign launched by Russia. The visit also aims to prepare the conference dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine, organized by the New Strategy Center in partnership with the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on 22–23 October in Bucharest, as well as to participate in a series of other events taking place in Kyiv during this period.
Ukraine, and particularly Kyiv, is going through an extremely difficult period amid the intensification of Russian attacks, carried out both during the day and at night. Russia is using new types of weapons and diversifying its attack tactics, including through the use of drones equipped with jet engines. These attacks are aimed at disrupting the daily lives of the population and undermining the morale and resilience of Ukrainian society.
Despite the extremely difficult conditions and constant attacks, the Ukrainian people continue to demonstrate their determination to resist and fight in the face of Russian aggression.
During the visit, the NSC delegation held meetings and discussions with officials, experts and representatives of the business community, addressing topics such as the evolution of the war in Ukraine, the reconstruction of the country, and the prospects for bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Romania. An important component of the visit was also dedicated to preparing the conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine, to be held on 22–23 October in Bucharest.
The meeting with Vitalii Bezghin, Minister for the Development of Communities and Territories, focused on presenting NSC initiatives aimed at developing cooperation with regions and communities in Ukraine neighbouring Romania, highlighting Romania’s important role as a bridge towards southern Ukraine, and providing information on the October conference.
The impact of the war on the Ukrainian economy and the economic outlook for 2027 were the main topics of the meetings with economists Igor Burakovsky and Ivan Us, prominent analysts within Kyiv’s research community. Discussions with Adrian Prokip, Head of the Energy Department at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, and Maksym Yemelianov, Director for International Cooperation at Naftogaz, focused on the current situation of the Ukrainian energy system and its prospects, amid the intensification of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
Another important objective of the meetings was to assess the evolution of the war and the current security situation in the context of the intensification of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and on its Black Sea and Danube port infrastructure. The NSC delegation held discussions with Members of Parliament Vadym Halaichuk and Valentin Nalyvaichenko, First Deputy Chair and Secretary, respectively, of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU; with Svitlana Kovalchuk, Executive Director of Yalta European Strategy; Mykhailo Samus, Director of the New Geopolitics Research Network; Admiral (Ret.) Ihor Kabanenko, former Deputy Minister of Defence; and Viktor Shlinchak, President of the Institute of World Policy, as well as with representatives of companies producing unmanned military equipment. The discussions addressed both the main security developments and Ukraine’s cooperation with its international partners, including Romania, in the defence-industrial field.
Discussions with Gennadyi Chyzhykov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Kateryna Glazkova, CEO of the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs; Yana Hrytsenko, AmCham Ukraine; and Daria Sichkar, European Business Association, focused on Romania’s involvement in the reconstruction process of Ukraine and on identifying new opportunities for cooperation between the business communities of the two countries. All these institutions, which are representative of Ukraine’s business community, will participate in the conference dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine, to be held on 22–23 October in Bucharest.
During the meetings with Olga Reznikova, Researcher at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, and Pavlo Ostapenko, Director of the Ukrainian Researchers Society, discussions focused on Ukraine’s societal resilience, war reparations, as well as prospects for future joint projects and initiatives.
Connectivity is also an important issue in the context of Ukraine’s reconstruction and the development of regional cooperation. Therefore, the NSC delegation also held discussions with Oleksandr Bilchuk, an expert in civil aviation, and Osamu Hattori, Head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s office in Ukraine. On this occasion, George Scutaru advocated for the involvement of Romanian companies in the future process of modernizing airports in Ukraine, for Romania’s role as a bridge towards southern Ukraine for foreign investors, and for major connectivity projects, such as the Danube bridge between Isaccea and Orlivka or the Danube logistics hub comprising the ports of Reni and Izmail (Ukraine), Giurgiulești (Republic of Moldova), and Galați and Brăila (Romania). The same important issues concerning connectivity between Romania and Ukraine, as well as details regarding the conference dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine in October, were also discussed during the meeting with Serhii Derkach, First Deputy Minister for Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport, and Yulia Sirko, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Transport and Infrastructure of the Verkhovna Rada.
This fact-finding visit is part of the New Strategy Center’s ongoing efforts to support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, promote Romania’s involvement in the reconstruction process of Ukraine, and strengthen cooperation between Romania and Ukraine.