The Ukraine Reconstruction Conference (URC 2026), dedicated to rebuilding Ukraine following Russian aggression, took place in Gdańsk on June 25–26. The event was attended by over 70 government delegations, as well as thousands of representatives from the business community, financial institutions, and international organizations. A key topic of the meeting was the development of transport and logistics as the foundation for the country’s future recovery.
In his opening remarks, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk highlighted the symbolic significance of holding the event in Gdańsk – a city that managed to rebuild itself after near-total destruction and stands as a prime example of successful reconstruction. He noted that Ukraine’s recovery must encompass not only infrastructure construction but also economic, social, and societal development. Participants emphasized that the transport sector would be a primary driver of recovery, identifying infrastructure modernization, the development of river transport, fleet renewal, and Ukraine’s integration into the European TEN-T network as priority areas.
Special attention was paid to the role of Polish ports – particularly the Port of Gdańsk – in facilitating Ukraine’s foreign trade. Poland’s port complex currently serves as a vital logistics hub for Ukrainian cargo, handling approximately 300,000 TEUs of trade with Ukraine annually; notably, the Baltic Hub – the region’s largest container terminal – serves around 40% of the Ukrainian container market. Alan Aleksandrowicz, Vice President of the Port of Gdańsk Authority, underscored the need to further develop rail and intermodal connections, increase border throughput capacity, and coordinate Polish and Ukrainian port infrastructure. He argued that the two countries’ ports should be viewed not as competitors, but as a unified transport system capable of supporting a market of over 100 million consumers.