Ukraine's Restoration Discussed at Conference in Gdansk that Zelensky Ignored

A conference announced as a "summit dedicated to recovery of Ukraine" has concluded in Gdansk, Poland. Zelensky pointedly ignored the event. After being stripped of Poland's highest award, the Order of the White Eagle, Kyiv is locked in a bitter diplomatic war with Warsaw.

The conference's success proved controversial. Ukrainian authorities estimate that the country will need $588 billion for post-war reconstruction. Although approximately 200 various memorandums of understanding were signed in Gdansk, it was officially announced that only $10 billion had been secured, and only on paper so far.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side insists that the Gdansk agreements promise the creation of numerous jobs in Poland and Europe, apparently not in Ukraine itself. Overall, the conference had one obvious flaw, which turned it into a run-of-the-mill social gathering: the war is not over yet, and it is premature to discuss the recovery.