Zelensky meets World Bank delegation, discusses Ukraine's restoration needs

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the World Bank delegation led by Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde on March 24.

According to Ukraine's Presidential Office, the meeting's participants discussed the World Bank-coordinated projects on financing Ukraine's recovery, mainly in the areas of transport and energy infrastructure as well as health care.

Zelensky emphasized the urgency of assisting Ukraine to rapidly restore destroyed infrastructure facilities, especially residential buildings and educational institutions.

He also told the World Bank delegation how important it is to implement business insurance programs in Ukraine to facilitate job creation, President's Office wrote.

Zelensky thanked the World Bank for the "unprecedented support" provided to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began. According to Bloomberg, the World Bank has already mobilized $20.6 billion for Kyiv.

On March 23, the World Bank increased its assessment of Ukraine's needs for recovery and reconstruction to at least $411 billion based on the damages caused by the first year of Russia's all-out war.

According to the Kyiv School of Economics, the total damages in Ukraine caused by Russia's war have reached almost $143.8 billion as of February 2023.

Ukraine to use $460 million worth of confiscated Russian assets for reconstruction

The Kyiv Independent