On the front lines, amid missile attacks in devastated cities or during temporary evacuations, we often yearn for the Ukraine we knew before 2014, before Russia invaded Donbas and occupied Crimea.
A peaceful and homely country. Subconsciously, that is the way we want to see it again: to rebuild the shattered neighborhoods, repair century-old factories, and restore the destroyed streets and hospitals. This is why the government and society often speak of "reconstruction" and "restoration".
However, we believe this approach lacks foresight. Even before the great war, Ukraine had outdated industry and infrastructure inherited from the USSR. Its industrial giants were inefficient in terms of resource consumption and harmful to the environment. Hospitals and schools built during the Soviet era did not meet modern service standards. Utility infrastructure, water systems, heat and power generation facilities were hopelessly obsolete. Single-industry towns created to serve large enterprises' needs have long lost their relevance. Restoring all of this "as it was" is a road to nowhere.
What Ukraine needs is not merely a concept of "rebuilding", but a vision of a new country – a country for the future. We need clear priorities, strategic planning, and a determination to achieve results.
Fate has presented us with a challenge, and overcoming it will not only solidify our identity as a political nation but also allow us to transcend historical circumstances. The weight of the Soviet past has been lifted from Ukraine, and now we can move forward.
The nine years of war have proven it: Ukraine has a strong foundation to build upon – the state that has withstood and united Ukrainians. We have core principles and values that we have paid for with our blood. They define the direction of our development and guide our construction.
Therefore, today we must embark on building a Ukraine of the future, not a revised past. We must shape a country based on goals and prospects, not compromises. A state that values development, not just survival. A society governed by the rule of law, designed from the outset to uphold democracy and embrace pluralistic culture, free from Soviet-era remnants.
Naturally, this process requires broad public dialogue. What is crucial is that this dialogue should be ongoing. Hence, we are pleased to announce the launch of New Ukraine, a special section on LB.ua.
We hope it will become one of the primary public platforms for bringing together ideas, suggestions, and visions of a new country, as well as practical areas which we should be focusing on. These include business and entrepreneurship, human potential development, innovations in education, changes in the economic profiles of cities, and more. Special attention must be given to reinstating Ukraine in the lands that have been under occupation the longest.
We are undertaking the New Ukraine project in collaboration with EFI Group. It is essential for us that this project sets an example of synergy, openness, and dialogue right from the start. Our goal is to create new meanings together and work collaboratively for the future, engaging the media, civil society, and responsible businesses.
The world is developing rapidly, and every country hopes to adapt to the future while also dreading the cost of this adaptation, stretching it out over time so that the shock of change does not become excessive for society. Ukraine cannot afford the luxury of waiting or being afraid as we are facing inevitable change.
It is time to acknowledge this reality and build a truly new Ukraine, one that rightfully claims its place in the world and ensures prosperity for generations of Ukrainians.
