Corner: Ukraine is divided on the order of reconstruction: “reconstruction” or “war victory” | Reuters

TROSTYANETS, UKRAINE (Reuters) – In the northeastern Ukrainian town of Trostyanets, heavy machinery emits smoke as it clears away dirt and debris that has accumulated between a train station and a bus stop. This is to guarantee a route to the new transport hub.

Trostianets, badly damaged in fighting with Russian forces about two years ago, has been designated as one of six areas earmarked for reconstruction in a state-funded pilot program. The aim of the program is to develop the skills and experience needed to promote much broader post-conflict reconstruction in the future.

Mayor Yuri Bova says there is no time to waste in bringing the city back to life. If we don’t hurry, millions of Ukrainian citizens who could be key to the country’s recovery will end up permanently residing in European countries.

In the town of Trostianets, just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, Bova told Reuters: “We are sweating for all the people who have to come back here. We have to build this for all the children.”

“Seeing this scene every day would be psychologically traumatic,” said the mayor of the devastated city. “Everything must be rebuilt. Starting with cafes, libraries, factories, libraries and hospitals.”

Ukrainian government officials have also signaled the urgent need for recovery. Reconstruction will cost hundreds of billions of dollars and critical infrastructure such as hospitals, power plants and railways will be restored with the utmost urgency.

However, there is no sign that the war will subside. With counteroffensives failing to produce significant results, cash-strapped Ukraine is now on the defensive against renewed Russian attacks. The Russian government has also resumed large-scale air strikes against populated areas far from the front lines.

The town of Avtylka, located just 20 kilometers south of Trostianets, was also damaged by heavy Russian bombing at the start of the war. Mayor Pavlo Kuzmenko believes that modern Ukraine cannot afford the luxury of rebuilding city squares.

Avtuğluka city authorities have removed the rubble of the former town hall from the main road, but the process took time to complete. The destroyed department store along the road has not yet been repaired. However, thanks largely to international aid, most schools have been repaired, with new windows and roofs and air raid shelters installed.

Mayor Kuzmenko has openly criticized Trostianets’ reconstruction plans, complaining about a lack of resources, saying they should focus first on emergency repairs of housing and critical infrastructure. Other than that, if there is extra money, it should go to the army.

“There is a lot to rebuild,” Mayor Kuzmenko told Reuters. “We can start decorating the square and everything after the war is over.”

Antonina Dmitrichenko, 65, a resident of Avtylka, standing near the remains of the town hall, agrees with the mayor’s opinion. “The first thing we need is a win. The recovery will start after that.”

The conflict between neighboring cities reflects a broader debate over wartime spending across Ukraine. In particular, there are growing grassroots protests demanding that non-essential projects such as improving roads and public spaces be shelved in favor of the military.

<"Ciò di cui abbiamo bisogno per vincere la guerra è il potere economico">

Signs of this conflict also emerged when Odessa state authorities canceled bids totaling more than $9 million (about 1.33 billion yen) between October and December 2023. The reason for the cancellation was that investments in repair of roads, in the renovation of stadiums, in software, etc. they would have been “unacceptable” in wartime.

Olysia Lutsevich of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), a think tank in London, clarified the government’s strategy amid these debates about the nature of reconstruction and, furthermore, what the economy should look like as it adapts to war and stresses that this highlights the need to disseminate information.

Lutsevich argues that the Ukrainian authorities urgently need to revive profitable growth opportunities and thus unleash the country’s economic potential. He said this would lead to a victory against Russia, encourage people to return and prevent more people from leaving the country permanently.

“Military power allows us to win individual battles, but to win the war as a whole we need economic power. Economic power is also a component of the same equation,” Lutsevich explained.

Lutsevich believes it makes sense to build more schools, for example, in the relatively safe western city of Lviv. Many Ukrainians have fled to the city because of fighting in other areas, and the school would allow them to stay there and contribute to the wartime economy.

“This is the purpose of recovery, even if it may not mean building fancy playgrounds or new zoos,” Lutsevich said. “It has to be the kind of project that fits into the broader strategy of how Ukraine survives this war.”

Trostianets, badly damaged in fighting with Russian forces about two years ago, has been designated as one of six areas earmarked for reconstruction in a state-funded pilot program. In the photo, workers are rebuilding a road damaged by Russian attacks. Photographed in Trostianec in November 2023 (2024 Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)

Mustafa Nayem, one of the officials in charge of Ukraine’s reconstruction, admits that bringing a badly destroyed city like Trostianets back to life will require considerable political strength.

“This country has never rebuilt entire communities,” Nayem, head of the Ukrainian Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development, told Reuters. “We have no such experience.”

For this reason, the Ukrainian government decided to adopt six reconstruction projects, each with a different program, and to invest state funds mainly from seized Russian assets. When Prime Minister Dennis Shmihaly announced the project last April, he said the goal was to completely transform the sites into better places than before.

One project involves rebuilding a village from scratch, while another involves renovating a large number of houses. Meanwhile, Trostianec, home of Mondelez (MDLZ.O), opens a new chocolate factory, is focusing on several key projects with the aim of encouraging the revival of economic life.

From the often meticulous process of verifying the legal ownership of properties that date back generations, to the replanning of entire neighborhoods of condominiums, to the construction of new energy networks, the skills are the most diverse.

<“Questo non è un rinnovamento della biblioteca”>

Prime Minister Shmihali said in October last year that more than $1.6 billion in recovery funds had already been allocated. A spokesperson for the Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development said a budget of about $86 million was allocated for pilot projects last year, but the budget for 2024 had not yet been decided.

Overall, the World Bank estimates that rebuilding Ukraine will require more than $400 billion over the next 10 years.

But Nayem said the ongoing war had made long-term planning difficult, citing the collapse of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam last June. The dam disaster forced the Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development to quickly build a vital water supply network in southeastern Ukraine in just a few months, draining time and resources.

Nayem said all officials can plan for now is “infrastructure for recovery.” This means establishing strong standards and procedures, building teams and fostering relationships with international partners.

“We are trying to cultivate this as much as possible in case we can afford to do more detailed planning,” Nayem said. “It may not necessarily be after our country wins the war.”

Nayem defended the pilot project against critics such as Kuzmenko, stressing that it is only about rebuilding housing and services that people need, not those that are not needed. He also said that priority should be given to the construction of strategic roads to facilitate military movement and trade within Ukraine, as well as administrative buildings. “It’s different than renovating a library or a museum.”

Trostianec’s reconstruction plan includes the restoration of two apartment buildings, three healthcare facilities, a train station, a square, a nearby building and the main road running through the city.

Meanwhile, funds from international aid agencies have been used to rebuild new departments in the city’s main hospital.

“I believe our city will be a better place than before the invasion and will disappoint the enemy,” said Natalia Androsova, 60. Many residents of Trostianec, including Androsova, highly praise Mayor Bova for his leadership and the way he brought in state financial resources.

In addition to Trostianets, the other five areas covered by the pilot project are Borodyanka and Mosun near the capital Kiv, Yahidne in the north, Turkuny in the east and Posad Pokrovske in the south.

The town of Avtylka, which withstood heavy bombardment by the Russian army for three weeks, still bears the scars of the war, but is thriving. Families roam freely around the park and a party is held in one of the popular restaurants to celebrate something.

But even more than any important or urgent need, some want a sense of normalcy. Jaroslav Bibik, 19, said he hoped the authorities would do more to restore the cultured, youthful atmosphere that filled the city before the invasion.

“I haven’t been able to go out for the last few months,” Bibik said. “This city right now is not interesting at all.”

(Translation: Airkreren)

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2024-01-23 07:34:49
#Corner #Ukraine #divided #order #reconstruction #reconstruction #war #victory #Reuters