Remarks by World Bank Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde at the Launch of Ukraine’s Fifth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment

Excellencies, 

Honorable Ministers, 

Distinguished representatives of the Government of Ukraine, the European Union, and the United Nations, 

Partners, colleagues, and friends, 

It is an honor to join you today for the launch of Ukraine's Fifth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, RDNA5.

Entering the fifth year of war, we gather at a moment of profound gravity-but also of determination and resolve. This assessment reflects not only the scale of destruction caused by Russia's invasion, but also the extraordinary resilience of Ukraine and its people. Every visit reminds me of how deeply that resilience runs.

RDNA5 provides a clear and updated picture of damages, losses, and recovery and reconstruction needs through the end of 2025. It also captures Ukraine's progress in physical and economic recovery, advances in an ambitious reform agenda, and the challenges that lie ahead. 

The World Bank Group remains firmly committed to supporting Ukraine during this critical period-not only through financing, but also through the analytical and technical work that helps shape smart recovery decisions, as reflected in the RDNA process itself. RDNA5 is more than an assessment; it is a framework to guide recovery, reconstruction, and reforms across sectors and levels of government. 

I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the United Nations for their close cooperation in preparing RDNA5 under exceptionally challenging circumstances and tight timelines. This joint effort reflects a shared commitment to evidence-based decision making and coordinated action. 

The findings of RDNA5 are stark. Infrastructure and productive capacity have been severely damaged, while fiscal and macroeconomic pressures remain significant. At the human level, millions remain displaced, poverty and inequality have deepened, and vulnerable groups-veterans, women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities-bear a disproportionate burden. 

And yet, despite all of this, Ukraine's institutions continue to function, communities continue to adapt, and recovery-though uneven-is underway. I have seen this firsthand.

As the RDNA5 highlights, Ukraine's financing needs remain substantial. Partners have mobilized significant support for humanitarian assistance, essential budget expenditures, and priority recovery and reconstruction. Since February 2022, the World Bank Group has mobilized over $88 billion in financing, with nearly $66 billion disbursed to date-in support of infrastructure restoration, private sector activity, and critical reforms. This support, along with that of many partners, has been vital. But we all know it will not be enough on its own. 

Public and donor resources alone cannot meet the scale and duration of Ukraine's reconstruction needs. Mobilizing private capital at scale will be essential to closing financing gaps, accelerating job creation, and sustaining growth. 

Reconstruction is not only an immense challenge; it is also a profound opportunity. If done right, it can attract significant private investment, including from abroad, spark local economic renewal, and lay the foundation for the dynamic, job-rich economy envisioned in the Government's Ukraine Economy of the Future. 

What would it take for a successful private sector-led, job-rich economic recovery grounded in the EU? Let me underscore four areas where Ukraine can act now:

• First, lay the foundation for a private sector-led recovery now, even before the war ends. This requires strengthening the rule of law and anticorruption efforts and reducing the state footprint through privatization and derisking to encourage private investment.  

• Second, build a dynamic private sector that can grow quickly, innovate, compete, and create well-paid jobs.  

• Third, address labor shortages and help citizens gain the skills needed for the future economy.  

• And fourth, communicate a clear vision of the "new Ukraine," secure strong domestic and external support, and maintain a laser focus on delivering results.  

RDNA5 makes one truth unmistakably clear: recovery is not only about rebuilding what was destroyed, it is about restoring lives, jobs, dignity, and opportunity. 

Across all pillars, RDNA5 underscores the importance of transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement, as well as an integrated approach to resilient recovery at the local level that links humanitarian needs with long-term development.  

Let me be clear: recovery will be a long and demanding journey. Resources will be constrained. Trade-offs will be real. Uncertainty will persist. 

But Ukraine is not starting from zero, and Ukraine is not alone. Far from it. Institutions are adapting, reforms are advancing, and confidence-fragile as it may be-is being rebuilt piece by piece. 

For the World Bank Group, this assessment reinforces our unwavering commitment:

• to stand with Ukraine; 

• to support comprehensive, people-centered recovery; 

• to help mobilize private capital at scale; and

• to work with partners to translate this assessment into action. 

The task before us is immense-but so too is the opportunity: 

• to help Ukraine not only recover, but emerge stronger, more resilient, and more competitive; 

• to create jobs and opportunity; and

• to lay the foundations for lasting peace and shared prosperity. 

RDNA5 is a call to action. 

A call for sustained partnership. 

And a call to keep the Ukrainian people at the heart of recovery. 

Thank you.