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A key meeting took place in Kyiv between representatives of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE) and a delegation from the United States. The negotiations, attended by ULIE President Anatoliy Kinakh, General Mykola Malomuzh, ULIE Vice President Serhiy Tikhonov, and others, as well as leading businessmen, public figures, and politicians from the USA, including Douglas Blend Baker, Ed Wilson, Canadian entrepreneur and patron Yugoslav Karich, investment banker Marina Akopyan, were focused on discussing investment opportunities and humanitarian aid for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the consequences of full-scale aggression by the russian federation.
One of the key topics was the use of frozen assets of the aggressor country, russia, for the benefit of Ukraine's recovery. Representatives of the US delegation expressed readiness to actively cooperate in creating the necessary legal mechanisms and supporting the country's recovery not only financially but also through infrastructure and social projects.
Ed Wilson, a lawyer and former OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) employee at the US Treasury, noted that such norms may require attention at the G7 level before gaining support from the US Congress.
Douglas Blend Baker, founder of Baker Global Advisors, expressed his intention to actively engage in the search and implementation of modernization/construction projects for social, infrastructure, and other facilities affected during the war. His father, James Baker, former US Secretary of State, and Baker Jr. also worked in the US Presidential Administration, having many connections in American politics.
The ULIE promises to provide a specific list of projects, including in the Kyiv region. The parties also emphasized the importance of cooperation within the framework of public-private partnership.
In the final stages of the negotiations, the participants agreed on the elaboration and signing of a joint memorandum, as well as the organization of working communications between representatives of the ULIE and Baker Global Advisors. This marks a new level of partnership between the civil society, private sector of Ukraine, and the USA. It is worth noting that a year earlier, the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs became a partner of the National Association of Manufacturers in the USA (NAM), contributing to the organization of a series of B2B meetings and negotiations during this time.
Anatoliy Kinakh presented personalized watches from the ULIE to partners with a symbolic wish for 'synchronization of efforts' regarding the reconstruction of Ukraine and ensuring victory over the russian aggressor."
