“The Future Is Forged Through Cooperation”: The Aspen Institute Kyiv and Partners from the Aspen Institute Network Held a Roundtable Discussion at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome

Raising GDP per capita, unlocking new pathways for investment, and developing human capital are undeniably vital aspects of Ukraine’s recovery. Equally important is ensuring that voices from across sectors—diplomacy, business, government, and civil society—are heard to shape a shared vision of rebuilding, grounded in values, mutual trust, and collective responsibility.

On July 9, in Rome, the Aspen Institute Kyiv—together with its Aspen Institute Network partners: Aspen Institute Italia, Aspen Institute Central Europe, and Aspen Institute Romania—held the roundtable “Ukraine’s Recovery: Economic Security, Regional Cooperation, and Transatlantic Partnership.” The event marked the opening of the Aspen European Strategic Forum, supported by the Aspen Global Fund.

The roundtable was part of the International Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025. Participants included representatives from NATO member states, the EU, and international organizations, who gathered to discuss key questions:

• How can Ukraine’s recovery become a catalyst for a new wave of European unity?
• How can the challenges of war be transformed into opportunities for systemic change?
• What role will Ukraine play in the future European security architecture?

Featured speakers included:

• Oleksii Sobolev, First Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine (at the time of the event)
• Yehor Cherniev, Head of Ukraine’s NATO PA Delegation
• Mircea Geoană, NATO Deputy Secretary General (2019–2024)
• Kurt Volker, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
• Davide La Cecilia, Special Envoy of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine’s Recovery
• Pierre Heilbronn, Special Envoy of the President of France for Assistance and Recovery in Ukraine

Members of parliament from Italy and Poland, representatives of the governments of Latvia and Denmark, the World Bank, and Mastercard were also present.

The discussions were moderated by:

• Marta Dassù, Senior European Affairs Advisor, Aspen Institute Italia
• Natalie Jaresko, Chairperson of the Supervisory Board, Aspen Institute Kyiv; Managing Director, Ernst & Young U.S. LLP (EY)
• Jakub Lewandowski, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Central Europe

During the roundtable:

• European policymakers and economists better understood Ukraine’s contributions to regional security.
• Ukrainian speakers had the opportunity to articulate a forward-looking vision—free from paternalism and grounded in accountability and collective action.
• The Aspen Institute Network strengthened coordination to support Ukraine’s recovery as a shared humanitarian challenge for the global democratic community.

Speakers emphasized that Ukraine’s recovery is not the concern of a single country, but a shared responsibility for the democratic world.

For the Aspen Institute Kyiv, this event marked another milestone in its ongoing strategy to strengthen international dialogue, where Ukraine’s voice is confident, responsible, and future-oriented. Such gatherings are part of the Institute’scontinuous efforts to foster platforms for leadership dialogue and seek solutions at the intersection of public policy, economics, and civil society.

We sincerely thank our partners for their cooperation, solidarity, and support!

Coming up in September: the Aspen European Strategic Forum—a new initiative of the international Aspen Institute network aimed at jointly addressing security challenges and strengthening a resilient Europe in times of geopolitical instability.