A New Marshall Plan? Heather Conley on Rebuilding Ukraine

Hailed as one of the most successful displays of US foreign policy, the Marshall Plan not only initiated the rebuilding of Europe after the Second World War, but also secured the United States’ sustained presence and influence in global affairs. With the return of war on the European continent, questions about a similar initiative to fund the long-term recovery of Ukraine are actively being considered. Could the United States again play a crucial role in coordinating and implementing a modern Marshall Plan, and what lessons should be drawn (or perhaps, avoided) when looking back at its predecessor? On the 13th of December 2023, The Netherlands Atlantic Association hosted Heather Conley, President of The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and author of the report “A Modern Marshall Plan for Ukraine”, in an online conversation with Bob Deen (Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Security Unit, The Clingendael Institute), moderated by Anna van Zoest (Director, Netherlands Atlantic Association). Together with Conley, we reflected on rebuilding Ukraine after the war and consider broader questions related to trans-Atlantic security cooperation in light of next year’s NATO Summit and the 2024 US presidential elections.