The first cohort of the Create Ukraine program — designed after Lithuania’s successful Create Lithuania — has completed 14 months of work at Ukrainian Ministries. Ten young professionals, who returned to Ukraine through the program from the United Kingdom, China, France, Austria, Canada, Italy, and Slovakia, became part of key national economic projects, major investment agreements, and Ukraine’s broader EU integration process. Despite the challenges and risks of Russia’s war, the program succeeded in creating a clear path and motivating young professionals to return and contribute to their country at a crucial moment in its history. On December 11, they presented the results of their work in Kyiv.
“Lithuania launched this program with a clear belief: Ukraine’s renewal will be shaped by its people — especially the young, talented professionals returning from around the world to build the future. These are the architects of tomorrow’s Ukraine, and this year’s Create Ukraine cohort proved just how much their expertise matters. Ten people, one year — and we already see stronger institutions, meaningful reforms, and steady progress toward the EU. Their impact shows why Create Ukraine must continue and expand,” said Darius Skusevičius, Ambassador-at-Large for the Coordination of Ukraine’s Recovery and Reconstruction.
The young changemakers drove around 30 projects that strengthened institutions, improved conditions for labor market, mobilised new investments, advanced Ukraine’s international communication, and pushed forward EU integration.
Their efforts supported 290,000 SMEs, contributed to the creation of more than 330,000 jobs and the retraining of over 270,000 people, and brought Ukrainian initiatives onto major global platforms, including the World Economic Forum. At URC2025, members of the cohort coordinated the labour market panel, which secured Ukraine’s associated membership in ESF+, opening access to €760 million and an additional €33 million through other agreements. In addition, the participants advanced important reforms, contributing to the final screening of five chapters of Ukrainian legislation within the EU accession process and supporting the development of the Export Strategy of Ukraine 2025–2030.
Oleksii Sobolev, Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine:
“Our Ministry had the privilege of being the first to open its doors to 10 young professionals with international experience — the participants of Create Ukraine. Each of them contributed in an exceptional way and created a systemic effect. They strengthened the Ministry exactly where it was most needed: they improved internal processes, helped us work faster and more cohesively during a challenging year for the country. And this demonstrates a new model of public service — when young Ukrainians with international experience deliberately choose to return home, join public institutions, and raise the standards of governance even under the pressure of war”.
In 2025, the program will scale, with 25 young professionals set to join seven key Ukrainian ministries and institutions in January 2026.
Background information
Create Ukraine was launched in 2024 as a pilot initiative to engage Ukrainians with international experience in the public sector. The programme has been implemented in Ukraine since 2024 at the initiative of Lithuania, the EU, and the Government of Ukraine. The pilot project was co-financed by the European Union under the EU4Youth Programme and the Government of Lithuania. It was managed by Lithuania’s Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) and implemented by the KSE Foundation.
