Mariin Ratnik, undersecretary for foreign economic affairs and development cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told ERR President Donald Trump attending is not to be ruled in or out.

"I think nothing is ruled out. It could be anyone. We also have to look at the dynamics of what is happening in Ukraine's negotiation processes and what the situation will be like by the end of the year. All of this influences the participants, but our plan and working assumption is that the conference will take place next year in its usual format, and we are working today on that plan," Ratnik said.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) had announced already in the summer that Estonia would be hosting the conference, with the memorandum of agreement signed in the fall. Estonia had expressed an interest in this as early as 2022, the first year of Russia's ongoing but stalled invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainians approached Estonia last year to offer the country the chance to host.

"Ukraine's reconstruction will become the largest strategic economic project in Europe over the coming decades, and for the Estonian state and our entrepreneurs it is critically important that we are involved from the very beginning," Tsahkna said in summer last year.

"According to World Bank estimates, the cost of restoring infrastructure damaged in the war alone could exceed €500 billion euros," Tsahkna noted.

"As noted, this is a major conference with many important foreign guests. In Estonia, this will often raise questions related to logistics, connections and security. This is a proper challenge for us, but since Estonia has experience with the EU presidency, Open Government Partnership meetings and NATO foreign ministers' meetings, we have a certain base. First, we need to map what, where and how, and then we can move forward," Ratnik added.

"Usually everyone who is willing to support Ukraine through reconstruction and economic cooperation is present. We can start with the U.S. and end with the Arab nations," she went on.

As a large-scale, high-level event, based on previous experience, somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 participants could be expected, which will necessitate budgetary agreements, Ratnik added.

As for cost, Ratnik said: "We can only rely on the figures cited by previous organizers. The conference has grown over time, so I don't dare say precisely, but we are talking about millions."

The Estonian government had already discussed hosting the conference late last year, reaching an agreement that it is financially feasible, with the event sponsored by Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200).

"In the autumn, during Foreign Minister Tsahkna's most recent visit to Ukraine, the corresponding agreement was also signed with the Ukrainians. We are now co-organizers, as this event is always organized together with Ukraine," Ratnik continued.

It is still too early to talk about the exact content of the conference, he said. He noted "what agreements are reached in Poland" need to be clear too. Poland is hosting URC 2026.

But the framework of past such conferences has included reforms related to Ukraine's accession to the EU, economic cooperation with business, the involvement of civil society and political discussions.

"It is a place where a great many bilateral meetings take place and where new agreements are presented," Ratnik added.

Ratnik said preparations are focused on reviewing how the annual conference has been organized in past host cities, consulting previous organizers and Ukraine, and defining the framework, team size, and operating model. He added that Estonia wants to highlight Nordic-Baltic involvement in 2026, as the region provides about a third of aid to Ukraine, with discussions on this still ongoing.

Ratnik also would not be drawn on the conference's exact venue in Estonia, saying "All options and aspects need to be considered" and that the state will be "able to find a dynamic and suitable solution where we can successfully carry this out."

Former Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology Tiit Riisalo may be taking part in organizing URC 2027. Ratnik noted Riisalo has been advising Ukraine since last spring and could potentially help with the project, but no agreements have been made, and contacts so far have been limited to exchanging ideas.

Riisalo himself told ERR that assembling the organizing team is still at an embryonic stage. "Some exchanges of ideas have taken place, but to my knowledge no project team has yet been put together. People are quietly thinking about it," he said.

Riisalo put the event and its organization on par with the EU council presidency which Estonia hosted several years ago. Riisalo said his experience spans public and private sectors, diplomacy, international development, and organizing major international events, giving him relevant expertise to contribute.

Estonia has remained a staunch supporter of Ukraine, not only through military aid, but also through reconstruction, economic cooperation and similar efforts.

Since the start of the current war, Estonia has allocated over €42 million for Ukraine's recovery, including €11 million this year, focusing mainly on Zhytomyr Oblast. Since the war began, Estonia has rebuilt key infrastructure, including a kindergarten, and housing, trained over 160 senior officials, and is continuing multiple reconstruction projects across the region.

"Estonia is already at the forefront of Ukraine's reconstruction. We ourselves have contributed about seven million euros per year and have also involved other countries in our projects, whose contribution has been approximately €15 million," Foreign Minister Tsahkna said in summer 2025.

Estonia held the rotating Council of the EU presidency in the second half of 2017 and hosted high-level meetings, forums and other events.

When Trump made an official visit to Finland in July 2018 during his first term, for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a back-up airliner was parked at Tallinn Airport.

The URC is the primary international gathering for Ukraine's recovery efforts since the 2022 invasion.

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