Politicians, investors, and civil society leaders gather Thursday in the Polish port city of Gdańsk for the start of a two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference – a flagship EU effort to mobilize investment for rebuilding Ukraine – but a political dispute between Kyiv and Warsaw risks overshadowing the event.
The conference opens at 10 a.m. with speeches from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa, according to Politico’s Brussels Playbook.
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Von der Leyen is expected to make a forceful case for investing in Ukraine, while Costa will emphasize long-term EU commitment to Kyiv, linking reconstruction with Ukraine’s EU accession path, EU officials told Playbook reporter.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has framed the gathering as more than symbolic, arguing it should help “anchor” Ukraine more firmly inside the EU as its defense industry expands.
For the first time, defense investment is a central focus, with organizers aiming to mobilize about €3 billion ($3.3 billion) in private capital, including major funding for security projects.
But the summit is unfolding under a political shadow.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had been expected to attend but will not, after a public dispute with Polish President Karol Nawrocki over Zelensky’s decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which Poland says was responsible for mass killings of Poles during World War II.
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Some Ukrainian and Polish officials privately described the row as a distraction from the core goal of sustained support for Ukraine’s war effort and reconstruction.
One Ukrainian lawmaker called the episode “stupid,” while others warned that historical disputes risk undermining strategic unity at a critical moment.
Despite the friction, officials from both countries stressed that Warsaw’s support remains intact.
Poland continues to serve as a key logistics hub for military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a central transit route for Western assistance, underscoring what both sides describe as a shared security interest on NATO’s eastern flank.
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