Three years ago, Ukraine was still wavering between a creeping authoritarian rule and a fading democracy. Many, including myself, looked with enthusiasm towards a groundbreaking association agreement with the EU being inked in late November 2013. Failing to meet those expectations came as a humiliation for millions of Ukrainians, who aspired for welfare, respect, and above all a definitive break with the past.

Quickly, mass protests spiraled into what we now call the Revolution of Dignity, an unrelenting display of our people’s will, that ultimately forced the bankrupt regime from power and breathed new hope into a future Ukraine that would be part of Europe.

The three years since then have not been an easy journey. One could hardly find another country in Europe, or beyond, which, whilst facing a foreign occupation, would undertake ambitious reforms from the ground up. Equally unique is our achievement of addressing both challenges simultaneously. Starting the reform process from scratch, we have gradually stopped the bleeding, especially in regards to the economic situation, thus strengthening our resilience.