Restoration and Development of Rural and Depleted Areas: The Importance of State Investment Policy (a Case Study of the USA and Ukraine)

The article analyzes the role of state investment policy in the restoration and development of rural and depleted areas using the examples of the United States and Ukraine. The study aims to identify the specific features of investment policy functioning in rural regions of the USA and Ukraine, with a focus on its impact on sustainable development in the context of post-war recovery, decentralization, and economic transformation. The research employed general scientific methods of cognition: analysis and synthesis, comparative-historical method, systems approach, induction, deduction, generalization, and modeling. The results show that rural development in the USA and Ukraine is shaped by different conceptual approaches, rooted in distinct historical backgrounds and institutional practices. In Ukraine, the state plays a central role as a regulator and initiator of rural recovery programs, especially under wartime conditions and the need for rapid infrastructure and social rebuilding. In contrast, the USA implements a model with minimal government intervention, where the private sector, local initiatives, and horizontal interaction dominate. Both countries recognize the strategic importance of rural areas and aim to adapt them to modern challenges, including military, environmental, demographic, and infrastructure-related threats. The study emphasizes that in the USA, public investment policy is implemented through a multisectoral approach encompassing support for agriculture, infrastructure modernization, green economy development, and social capital strengthening. Effective implementation of such strategies is achieved through public-private partnerships, which optimize investment flows and minimize government expenditure. The findings also highlight that institutional capacity, transparency of the land market, participation of professional brokers in land deals, and the development of trust networks foster not only economic growth but also social resilience in rural communities. The practical value of the study lies in its potential for informing regional development policy in Ukraine by adapting best international practices.