Gdańsk URC 2026: nearly 200 agreements signed, energy deals dominate, Lviv mayor sidelines Poland in parallel event

A massive gathering

The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026) in Gdańsk drew 7,500 guests, 70 official delegations, and nearly 5,000 business representatives over two days of panels and deal-making. Prime ministers Donald Tusk and Julia Swyrydenko led the opening, while Ukrainian energy minister Denys Szmyhal announced energy agreements worth over 1 billion euros.

“To była chyba największa konferencja polityczno-biznesowa w tym roku w Europie. Nie znam większej.”

Vice-minister of state assets Eliza Zajdler said nearly 200 agreements, memoranda, and letters of intent were signed across infrastructure, energy, and sectoral platforms. Organisers reported over 7,000 media publications worldwide.

Energy and nuclear deals

Among the largest contracts, US Exim Bank extended a $300 million loan to Naftogaz for American equipment, while British firm Urenco signed a £210 million nuclear fuel supply deal. The Dutch government allocated €178 million for energy equipment ahead of winter, and Ukrenergo secured a €90 million EBRD loan.

Polish energy groups Orlen, PGE, Enea, and Tauron signed a joint letter of intent on participation in Ukraine's reconstruction. Orlen and Naftogaz signed two memoranda: one on LNG trade using Baltic and Central European infrastructure, the other on decarbonisation and ESG experience sharing.

“Chcemy wykorzystać nasze kompetencje w LNG, tradingu, dostępie do infrastruktury i transformacji energetycznej, aby wspierać nie tylko bieżące dostawy gazu, ale również budowę bardziej nowoczesnego i odpornego systemu energii w Ukrainie.”

Lviv sidelines Poland amid contract dispute

Before the official conference, Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi hosted a parallel Lviv Resilience Day in Gdańsk, at a restaurant in the shipyard area. He signed six agreements worth €2.5 million with partners from Lithuania, Germany, France, Czechia, and Sweden. No Polish firms were included.

The Polish foreign ministry confirmed Sadovyi was not invited to the official URC and his event was unrelated. The mayor’s move came amid an ongoing arbitration with Polish company Control Process, which Lviv’s municipal enterprise terminated a contract with for a waste processing plant. Control Process says 95% of the plant is built and that 75 decisions in seven proceedings have gone in its favour, including rulings that ordered Lviv to pay €10 million for completed work and to restore bank guarantees of €4.5 million.

“Miasto nie zapłaciło 10 mln euro za prace i zerwało gwarancje bankowe zabezpieczone przez polski rząd. Narracja ze strony Lwowa, że wykonawca czegoś nie zrobił, jest nieprawdziwa.”

Diplomatic fallout

Foreign minister Radosław Sikorski tweeted that "maybe it's for the best" that Sadovyi signed no deals with Poland, pointing out that the Polish firm that built the Lviv incinerator "still cannot get paid". Sadovyi shot back, claiming the company had earned over €30 million in Lviv but failed to complete the plant on time, and asked Sikorski to produce unpaid invoices. Sikorski urged respect for the arbitral award, while Sadovyi accused him of disinformation.

Paweł Kowal, the government plenipotentiary for Ukraine reconstruction, said the case would be analysed thoroughly but stressed that the government backs Polish business. He warned that Sadovyi's actions "cut Lviv off from Europe" and urged the mayor to treat European partners fairly.

“Mer Lwowa takimi działaniami odcina Lwów od Europy i robi błąd.”

The conference closed with a sense of momentum for Ukraine's rebuilding, but the spat underscored the political friction beneath the surface.