How Investment is giving a Lifeline to Ukraine's economy.

Hello, you're listening to the Marketplace Morning Report.

Live from the BBC World Service, I'm Leanna Byrne on a very good morning to you.

Saturday will mark two years since Russia invaded Ukraine as the conflict continues.

So does the need for support and resources for people in Ukraine.

The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development has invested 2.2 billion dollars in the country since February 2022.

Only 1 million of that has gone towards reconstruction.

Its chief economist, Biazza Yavortchik told me how it

prioritizes and manages those funds. We have financed purchases of gas for

the winter heating season. This is already the second winter we've done that.

And then we've also have supported the railway company.

It is important to keep transport linkages between Ukraine and Western Europe so that goods can come in and out of the country.

And the point of doing that is to help Ukrainian people make it through the winter, to avoid another exodus of refugees.

There is a recognition that Ukraine cannot rely on external financial support alone.

It's important to bring people back.

Ukraine is perceived as a corrupt country.

Now they have made efforts to deal with that and actually perceptions are improving but there are cases when

there are purchase orders or there's money put into the country and it disappears.

I mean does that come into your decisions about how to fund Ukraine and what to fund?

Well, we have made a decision very early on that we are not going to compromise our

procurement standards in Ukraine. So we are very careful about whom we work with.

Because as an institution funded by governments from around the world. We need to give taxpayers in our

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