Rome to host key events supporting Ukraine’s resilience in response to Russia’s Invasion

Rome will host the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 and the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, an initiative led by the United Kingdom and France. The two initiatives are aimed to guarantee Ukraine's survival as an independent, sovereign nation in response to Russia’s invasion.

UKRAINE RECOVERY CONFERENCE - 10 - 11 July

The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 (URC2025) is the fourth edition of a high-level annual series of political events launched to support Ukraine’s rapid recovery and long-term reconstruction. Recovery Forum – and a connected Business Fair – will be an integral part of the URC2025.

The main objective of the two-day event is to raise awareness and mobilise international support and investment for Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, reforms, and modernisation. The conference will also highlight progress made on Ukrainian reforms in the context of economic resilience and the European Union accession process, according to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

'The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 will be a pivotal moment to strengthen international cooperation and define concrete strategies for Ukraine’s recovery, reform, and European integration,' the statement added.

The organisers of the conference, co-organised by Italy and Ukraine, said it will adopt a whole-of-society approach to recovery, involving all sectors of society – institutions, businesses, citizens, and civil society organisations. 

URC2025 will build on the work of previous conferences, reaffirming the Four Berlin Dimensions as the key pillars for Ukraine’s recovery, modernisation, and reform efforts: the Business Dimension, the Human Dimension, the Local and Regional Dimension, and the EU Dimension. Organisers said that these Dimensions, which also shaped URC2024, remain central to Ukraine’s resilience and reconstruction.

Business Dimension – Mobilising the private sector for reconstruction and economic growth
URC2025 aims to foster a favourable environment for private investment by addressing key challenges such as security, access to finance and insurance, and regulatory simplification.

Human Dimension – Social recovery and human capital for the future of Ukraine
Recovery must enhance human capital, promote social inclusion, and support the reintegration of internally displaced people, refugees, and veterans.

Local and Regional Dimension – Recovery of municipalities and regions
Local and regional authorities play a key role in the reconstruction process. Topics will include autonomy, strengthening administrative capacity, and access to funding.

EU Dimension – EU accession and related reforms
European integration is crucial for aligning Ukraine’s policies and institutions with EU standards, thereby promoting long-term economic and social progress.

During the conference, the Recovery Forum will take place as a dynamic platform for dialogue, networking, and the exchange of best practices among Ukrainian, Italian, and international stakeholders, including local authorities, financial institutions, and development banks.

A Business Fair will also be a key component of the event, offering Ukrainian, Italian, and international companies—from SMEs to large enterprises and local governments—an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and explore tangible opportunities within the context of Ukraine’s reconstruction.

In parallel, a series of side events will be held throughout the Conference in Rome, focusing on critical areas such as energy efficiency, education and training, green reconstruction, human capital development, defense, and industrial advancement.

COALLITION OF THE WILLING

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already spoken with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to align their upcoming diplomatic efforts ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit in Rome set to take place within days.

'The President and the Prime Minister exchanged views on expectations for the upcoming meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, which will take place in Rome in just a few days. Work is ongoing to ensure the strongest possible decisions are made – focusing on strengthening air defence, economic pressure on Russia, sanctions, and security in the Black Sea,' - Ukranian President's Office reported on Monday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Keir Starmer also discussed other formats of cooperation with key partners, including the Ramstein format. They explored ways to enhance its effectiveness and agreed to work collaboratively toward that goal.

The Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein group) is an alliance of 57 countries (all 32 member states of NATO and 25 other countries) and the EU supporting the defence of Ukraine by sending military equipment in response to the Russian invasion.

"I instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Defence to prepare the next Ramstein meetings in various formats. The UK, along with Germany and other partners, is currently keeping Ramstein operational, and in August–September we expect – very much expect – the format to deliver new steps for our Ukrainian resilience," Zelenskyy stated on X.

The recent Russian attacks reinforced the need for Ukraine’s friends and allies to focus both on ensuring Ukraine had the support it needed to defend itself, while also planning for a post-ceasefire future, the Prime Minister added as gov.uk reported.

The leaders also discussed next steps to accelerate work on the agreement reached between the UK and Ukraine to share battlefield technology and step up defence industrial cooperation, particularly the possibility of providing additional funding this month for Ukrainian drone production, primarily interceptor drones.

Both looked forward to speaking again on Thursday, Prime Minister's Office stated.

"We coordinate our joint diplomatic efforts and discussed expectations for the upcoming meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, which will take place in Rome in just a few days. We are working to ensure the decisions made are as strong as possible," Zelenskyy said on X following the conversation with UK Prime Minister. 

On Thursday, UK Prime Minister will hold a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron, begining a state visit to the UK today 8 July. 

Macron and Starmer will host the Franco-British summit in London, where they are set to discuss opportunities to strengthen defence ties in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The summit will touch upon the deployment of “a reassurance force” to Ukraine after a ceasefire and how to “increase pressure” on Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire, the Élysée Palace said. 

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