At the end of March, the Kyiv School of Economics hosted a joint event organized by the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine and the KSE Institute, dedicated to the activities of the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (URIF). Participants discussed project selection, investment criteria, and financing mechanisms for Ukraine’s recovery. Representatives of around 100 key institutions and private companies attended the event.

URIF is the first bilateral investment fund of its kind between Ukraine and the United States, with initial capital of $150 million, which began accepting project submissions  on January 7 of this year. Its goal is to attract private capital, reduce risks for investors, and accelerate economic recovery in key sectors: critical minerals extraction, mining, energy, infrastructure, logistics, IT, and defense technology.

The two governments act as partners in the fund, but decisions are made according to private-sector logic. This structure combines state strategic interests with commercial efficiency and flexibility in decision-making.. The Fund’s seed contributions  will be supplemented from hydrocarbon extraction revenues and royalties, which will be reinvested into Ukraine’s economy.

Speakers included Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine Yehor Perelyhin, Associate General Counsel at the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Jonathan Taylor, DFC Investment Director Zain Shamim, and DFC Ukraine Country Officer Tony Pollak. The president of the Kyiv School of Economics, Tymofiy Mylovanov, opened and moderated the discussion.

💬 «KSE is where the future gets decided — by people. Different people. People are brought together in an environment where they think and act. I spoke with Jonathan the next day about our meeting at KSE, and he told me it was the most engaging and interesting conversation he’d had. I pushed them with hard questions, and they answered candidly — about President Trump’s role, about their own role in this project, and about exactly what not to do if you want to secure the investment», said Tymofiy Mylovanov in his opening remarks.

💬 «We have built a mechanism that did not exist before. It combines the logic of private capital with government participation, while allowing for fast and efficient action. What seemed impossible two years ago has now become a reality», noted Yehor Perelyhin.

In the concluding Q&A session, participants had the opportunity to discuss partnership prospects and project selection criteria in depth.