As Ukraine reaches the second anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, questions about the war’s trajectory and, consequently, the fate of the Ukrainian nation, weigh heavily on the world's most influential leaders. What happens to Ukraine will impact not just the country and its immediate neighbors, but the whole of Europe and beyond.

How did a mid-sized Eastern European country become so important for world affairs? What political-economic forces shaped modern Ukraine and how did they help to bring about the current war? What future does Ukraine hold in Europe? Pavlo Kukhta will address these questions with unique insight from his career in Ukrainian policymaking.

Since April 2023, Pavlo Kukhta has served as advisor to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister of Reconstruction. In this role, he assists in structuring reconstruction policies to maximize their economic impact and actively attracts investors to support Ukraine’s recovery. He previously served as Ukraine’s Acting Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Agriculture (2019-2020), where he oversaw public sector enterprises and the ministry’s operational management, and he launched a large privatization program. He also worked as Chief Policy Officer at the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) (2020-2022) where he coordinated KSE economic policy projects and led KSE communication efforts with policymakers, the media, and the general public. Prior to this, Kukhta served as Deputy Chairman (Advisor to the Prime Minister) at the Strategic Advisory Group for Support of Ukraine Reforms (SAGSUR) at Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers (2016-2019). Here, he helped define the economic reforms agenda and priorities for the Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers, including in the spheres of energy policy and corporate governance.

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