A first-hand reflection from our CEO, Nick Iltsopoulos, written after the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdańsk:
Recovery is usually what comes after a war. In Ukraine, it is happening now — under fire, in present tense — and that may be the most powerful statement of confidence in the future I have ever witnessed.
The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026) in Gdańsk made one thing unmistakable: the world believes in a free and prosperous Ukraine, and it is ready to help build it. URC was an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the reconstruction efforts already underway, to reconnect with friends and partners, and to forge new relationships in service of a shared objective — a better future for the people of Ukraine. We were grateful to take part in side events hosted by the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (AmCham). Irina Pashavili, Andy Hunder, and their teams do exceptional work — bringing the right people into the room and turning conversations into outcomes.
A few moments stayed with me.
Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt. Always a privilege. I first had the honor of working alongside him during his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Greece, and I have long admired his energy and his command of the region’s geopolitical realities. From Kyiv to Athens to his leadership on energy security, his work continues to serve both Greece and Ukraine. My colleague Svitlana Kravchenko said it best: “Few people shape the map they walk through. Ambassador Pyatt is one of them.”
Governor Oleksandr Prokudin and “Unbreakable Kherson.” At the Unbreakable Ukraine forum — hosted by the German Marshall Fund and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation — we witnessed the launch of Unbreakable Kherson, a book that should be required reading for government leaders everywhere. Hearing Howard G. Buffett speak was a reminder of what sustained, genuine commitment to Ukraine looks like. And to hear Governor Prokudin describe engineering solutions while his region was under fire is to understand a truth at the heart of reconstruction: you cannot rebuild what you cannot protect. It is a question the leaders of Europe should be asking themselves now — if we were attacked tomorrow, how would we protect our people, and rebuild what we lost? The most durable recovery is the one built to endure. Resilience is not a footnote to rebuilding; it is the foundation.
Dr. Brendan Nelson, President of Boeing Global. In a long career of conferences, I have heard many people speak. Dr. Nelson’s address was the most inspiring I can recall — humble, compassionate, and without a wasted word. He announced that Boeing had signed an MOU with the Government of Ukraine to hire and train Ukrainian military veterans — rebuilding lives and livelihoods, not only infrastructure. Then he named the thing too few will admit: that most MOUs are never translated into action, and that making sure this one is, is his personal mission. Boeing already employs more than 1,000 Ukrainians. That is commitment in word and in deed.
It resonated deeply. Trident Group America was founded by my partner, Tom Rothrauff, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL, and across our 26-year history we have employed thousands of veterans. There is no greater way to honor those who served than to give them the chance to keep serving.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, I keep returning to the words of our Declaration of Independence: that all are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights — among them Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
The Ukrainian people have endured unspeakable atrocities, in this war and across their history. They have earned that same pursuit — and the support of those helping to rebuild it alongside them: the United States, the governments of Europe, and the companies that have chosen to stand with them, including Boeing, ADM, Bunge, Cargill, Coca-Cola, SC Johnson, Shield AI, Palantir, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, our own Trident Group America and Trident Group Ukraine, and hundreds of others.
Ukraine is not waiting for the war to end to build its future. It is building now — and inviting the world to build alongside it. Ukraine is open for business. More than that, Ukraine is worth standing beside.
Slava Ukraini.
