Olena Zelenska: Ukraine’s recovery first and foremost means creation of best conditions for people

10:49, 11.07.2025 1 min read

People must be at the center of all recovery processes in Ukraine. First Lady Olena Zelenska emphasized this during her speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) in Rome.

“Buildings can be rebuilt. But nothing will bring back the lives taken by the aggressor. Today, I want to emphasize this above all else: what matters most in rebuilding any country is its people. Buildings without people, enterprises without people, a country without people – that is not a country. It is a memorial,” Zelenska said.

Zelenska also emphasized the importance of the National Barrier-Free Strategy.

“Our special expectation today is the signing of Ukraine’s associated membership in the ESF+, which will help modernize employment legislation. Ukraine will also present the Human Capital Resilience Charter and the results of the first year of the Skills Alliance for Ukraine, which has retrained 275,000 Ukrainians,” she noted.