Ukraine's PM meets with US business leaders in Washington
Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met with U.S. business leaders in Washington on April 17 to discuss continued cooperation and the need for "more support and help to stop the enemy."
The meeting was overshadowed by a Russian missile strike in Chernihiv, which killed at least 17 people. Shymal said this highlighted how vital it is to implement business projects, "namely in the defense industry."
"I thanked American companies for continuing to work and invest in Ukraine," he wrote, adding: "This helps us to be resilient and continue to fight for our country.
"The (Ukrainian) government, despite the war, continues to implement reforms and transform the country to attract as many investors to projects in Ukraine as possible."
Shmyhal also said agriculture, IT, critical raw materials, and logistics were other crucial areas of cooperation.
Russia's invasion caused a major hit to Ukraine's economy, which suffered a whopping 29.1% fall in GDP in 2022.
The economy stabilized faster than expected in 2023 due to several successful government programs as well as international support.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that Ukraine's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 3.2% in 2024 and by up to 6.5% in 2025, even as the country continues to grapple with the full-scale invasion.
Around the same time last year, the IMF initially estimated a 3% decline in Ukraine's GDP in 2023 before publishing a forecast of an improved growth of 2% by the end of the year.
The 2024 World Economic Outlook report also includes data on changes in the country's consumer prices, which are expected to increase 6.4% in 2024 and 7.6% in 2025. Ukraine's unemployment is projected to decrease slightly between 2024 and 2025.
Mark Temnycky
