Former British PM Rishi Sunak joins star studded team for Ukraine's recovery
Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will advise Ukraine on its economic recovery, the latest in a string of star appointments as Kyiv eyes future reconstruction and European integration.
Sunak has taken up an unpaid role as a member of Ukraine's International Advisory Council for the Economic Renewal of Ukraine, according to documents released on Feb. 27 by the U.K.'s independent advisor on ministerial standards.
Amid a renewed push from the U.S. to reach a peace deal in recent months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made several high-profile appointments to both economic and military positions, in what he has framed as preparing for either Ukraine's eventual recovery — or if peace is not reached, a longer war.
Zelensky appointed Chrystia Freeland, former deputy prime minister of Canada, as his economic advisor in January this year. Zelensky also appointed Ukraine's former ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, as an advisor on reconstruction and investment in November last year.
Kyiv and its partners in Washington and Europe are reportedly working towards a "prosperity plan" as part of the peace talks, which would aim to mobilize $800 billion through public and private investment into the country over 10 years. The World Bank now estimates the total cost of Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery at $588 billion.
The international advisory group met for the first time yesterday, according to Zelensky's office, with Sunak, Freeland, and Markarova in attendance. The event was also attended by the leadership of the World Bank, European development banks, and several representatives from the private sector, including BlackRock, Citigroup, and McKinsey.
Ukraine is pressing for membership of the European Union as soon as 2027, which many in the country see as critical to the country's future — although the speedy timeline has drawn pushback and skepticism across the EU.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in January that Ukraine joining the EU in 2027 was "not possible."
Senior European officials have also expressed concern at Ukraine's slowing pace of reforms in recent months, which the war-torn country must complete in order to join the bloc. Europe's commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, said in a speech on Feb. 13 that while the accession process might adapt, full reforms are non-negotiable.
