Kharkiv is a Ukrainian city just miles from the front line. We are attacked every day. Every day, people suffer from these attacks — people who believe in the same God as the aggressor, who cross themselves in the same way, yet hold fundamentally different values: the values of freedom, human dignity, and free enterprise. Our struggle is about defending our people and our values.
But Ukraine is not fighting to sustain the war. It is fighting to end it on terms that will reduce the likelihood of future conflicts. Like every Ukrainian city, Kharkiv is defined not by war, but by its determination to achieve a just and lasting peace. This is not only a Ukrainian goal, but a European necessity and a strategic advantage, both militarily and economically, for the United States.
Reliable and enforceable security guarantees for all of Ukraine, and for Kharkiv as part of it, are not only about military alliances or diplomatic agreements. A true guarantee can be the physical presence of American business and investment. When American factories and technology hubs operate in Ukraine, protecting these assets becomes an organic economic interest of the U.S. U.S. capital and assets in Ukraine can become the most effective “air defense system,” shielding our skies from future aggression.
IRAN WAR SHOWCASES US RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN UKRAINE
Support for Ukraine is neither a donor model nor a charity. Ukraine’s reconstruction, estimated at over $800 billion, represents one of the largest investment opportunities in Europe in decades. For American companies, this is a chance to enter a major emerging market early and help shape its rules and standards. It is a partnership that creates new markets while reducing future security costs.
Ukraine’s appeal for American capital lies in a unique combination of factors that make it an ideal platform for scaling business nationwide.
Early entry and new rules: Ukraine is in the process of building a new economic architecture. Investors do not have to adapt to outdated systems — they can help shape the rules themselves. Kharkiv, in particular, has the potential to become a “Ukrainian Dublin”— a gateway for global capital with transparent and modern regulations.
Geoeconomics: Ukraine’s proximity to the European Union, combined with its position outside the costly and saturated production zones of Western Europe, creates an optimal balance between cost efficiency and market access.
Strong industrial base: Ukraine’s extensive network of industrial enterprises — from energy engineering to processing, metallurgy, and aerospace — offers deep production expertise and established supply chains. This allows investors to launch projects on existing capacities rather than building from scratch, significantly lowering entry costs and capital expenditures.
Exceptional human capital: Ukraine has one of the strongest engineering, IT, and technical talent pools in Europe, supported by leading universities and research institutions. Our specialists have gained unique experience operating and innovating under extreme conditions and limited resources. For investors, this means access to highly adaptive teams capable of delivering creative solutions and integrating quickly into global business processes.
Managerial adaptability: Wartime conditions have fostered a culture of rapid project execution and minimal bureaucracy. This dynamic, KPI-driven environment is familiar and attractive to American companies.
Innovation testing ground: Ukraine has become a unique global testing environment where advanced technologies in security, decentralized energy, cybersecurity, and resilient infrastructure are validated under real-world extreme conditions. For U.S. companies, this is an unprecedented opportunity to test, refine, and commercialize cutting-edge solutions for global markets.
The opportunities are tangible across the entire country. In energy, Ukraine is expanding nuclear capacity and exploring small modular reactors. In defense, the combination of Ukrainian innovation and American technology is generating new solutions. Large-scale housing and logistics projects are creating demand for long-term U.S. business engagement.
Ukrainian communities are ready for this partnership. Many already cooperate with American companies through platforms such as the American Chamber of Commerce and are prepared to scale this engagement nationwide.
Ukraine has the potential to follow the path of postwar Europe — only faster and more technology-driven. American leadership can play a decisive role, as it did during the Marshall Plan, by fostering further mobilization of private capital and enabling long-term growth.
WHAT THE KREMLIN FEARS MORE THAN UKRAINIAN DRONES
At the same time, reducing support for Ukraine will not end the war — it will only increase its cost and strategic risks for the West. The question is no longer whether the U.S. can afford to support Ukraine. It is whether it can afford not to.
We are not seeking charity — we seek a true partnership. A strong American presence will help secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, while providing U.S. businesses with a strategic economic advantage for decades to come.
Ihor Terekhov is the mayor of Kharkiv and head of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities.