On 23 June 2026, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko met with the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, in Kyiv. She announced that she had delivered the official letter from the Government of Ukraine renewing its request for OECD membership and expressed hope that accession negotiations would begin in the near future.
OECD Confirms Ukraine’s Reform Progress
Yuliia Svyrydenko stated that she had received three key OECD reviews on Ukraine covering infrastructure, public governance, and the justice system. According to her, these documents provide an independent assessment of the reforms already implemented while also serving as a roadmap for further changes in the country. She emphasized that all OECD reviews recognize the results of Ukraine’s consistent reforms carried out over many years.
The OECD stressed that Ukraine continues to reform its public institutions even under the conditions of a full-scale war, bringing them closer to the standards of developed democratic countries.
Key Reforms and Challenges
The review of the justice system found that Ukrainian courts continue to operate despite the war and that reforms in the sector have not been halted. In particular, judicial appointments resumed in 2023, and in May 2025 the Rule of Law Roadmap was adopted, providing for the implementation of 529 reform measures by the end of 2027. At the same time, the OECD noted that public trust in the judicial system remains low and requires further improvements.
The public governance review highlights the resilience of Ukraine’s public authorities and civil service during the war. The Organisation recommends strengthening interagency coordination, increasing transparency in decision-making, and enhancing the capacity of the civil service.
According to the OECD, the greatest challenges are related to infrastructure reconstruction. The infrastructure policy review states that Ukraine will require approximately USD 588 billion between 2026 and 2035 to restore transport, energy, water, and digital infrastructure. The financing gap for 2026 alone is estimated at approximately USD 9 billion.
Ukraine is steadily moving toward OECD membership, viewing it as an important component of its European integration. The findings of the OECD reviews confirm Ukraine’s readiness to obtain candidate status for accession to the Organisation.
Ukraine aims to obtain OECD candidate status as early as 2026.