Talking Trade Ep. 56 - Terry Dittrich, MI Group

Talking Trade

In the latest episode of “Talking Trade,” MI Group Senior Advisor Terry Dittrich discusses the path ahead for rebuilding infrastructure in Ukraine.

While the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on, Dittrich says reconstruction planning has already begun, noting “if you wait, you’ll be too late.” He shares insights from a recent conference held in Poland focused on these efforts.

“The bottom line is, the Europeans, the Asians and to an extent, some American companies, are already in planning,” he said. “A lot of engineering, planning, design … particularly things like social housing and hospitals, schools. Very immediate need-type projects.”

While banks in Ukraine aren’t currently operating due to instability, Dittrich says large European banks are “starting to put themselves in a position to go in” once the conflict is over.

“I’d say we’re probably about six to 12 months away from major funding being available,” he said. “And of course that’s all contingent on things settling down over there … but pre-planning is going on full speed.”

Dittrich adds the “real gateway” into Ukraine right now is Poland, noting most staging efforts for financing, exports and services are based in Warsaw.