Dear ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine Annual Membership Meeting 2025.
We gather here tonight at a time that is as historic as it is decisive.
Ukraine stands at the peak of the struggle for its existence and independence. This is not a distant battle, not a scrolling headline.
This is wartime reality. And we live it here every day.
In the midst of this storm, business continues, business works, and business perseveres.
And that is exactly why the AmCham Community is here: because business is here. Believing in Ukraine, rebuilding, investing, employing, paying taxes – not because it is easy, but because it is right. The right thing to do.
This year, again and again, we saw a brutal reminder of what we’re up against. Russia is destroying and humiliating American businesses. Fifty-four percent of AmCham members have suffered damage to their assets.
This is not only Ukraine’s problem. This is also a US problem. Two Russian missiles hit this US-owned factory US-headquartered, US-owned, American shareholders, listed in America. I arrived to Mukachevo as the smoke was still billowing. At the time of this ruthless attack, 600 employees were inside the factory on the night shift, But thanks to God, they are all alive as they managed to evacuate down into the shelter.
This attack was not an accident. It was a message. And here is our message back: Kyiv stands, Ukraine stands, and business stands united with Ukraine.
Inside our own AmCham family, the reality of war touches every company. Eighty-eight percent of our members have employees serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Many of your colleagues and friends have swapped the business field for the battlefield.
46% of companies have had employees killed.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let us honor together those fallen heroes to whom we owe every day, and because of whom we are all here today. Please stand for the minute of silence.
Слава Україні!
On the 4th year of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion, 91% of members are fully operational. 64 new members joined AmCham in 2025.
Even in the darkest moments, Ukraine delivered historic wins. The first-ever Ukrainian company was listed on Nasdaq. A wartime IPO. A historic moment – one that says to the world: Ukraine is not only fighting; Ukraine remains open for business.
2025 also brought political shifts across the Atlantic. President Trump returned to the White House. New dynamics, new challenges, and new opportunities for US-Ukraine relations. The message that we have been delivering to the White House is Stand with us. Especially as Putin continues to humiliate and destroy American business.
The launch of the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund signals that America’s long-term business stake in Ukraine remains strong.
I’m grateful to the US Ambassador Julie Davis and the US Embassy team in Kyiv for all the support our members get daily.
Geopolitics is also constantly evolving. In March, AmCham Taiwan invited me to Taipei to share the phenomenal resilience that you, our members, have demonstrated here in Ukraine. Your resilience inspires so many across the world.
Last month’s Thanksgiving reflected that spirit. We honored the Defenders of Ukraine and Ukraine’s First Responders. We presented the Thanksgiving recognition 2025 to the truly remarkable people:
- Eleonora Kapeliushna, a service member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a mother of five, who worked in McDonald’s, and from day one of the full-scale invasion, volunteered and now serves and defends Ukraine. She is one of 33 women from McDonald’s who are now serving in Ukraine’s armed forces.
- Roman Levko, who, before the full-scale war, worked at Coca-Cola. In 2023, he joined the Armed Forces, and, during a combat operation, was captured, spending 22 months in Russian captivity. In May 2025, he finally returned home.
Supporting the reintegration of veterans has become one of AmCham’s key focuses with the full-scale war. We put all our efforts into supporting our members with valuable insights, enabling them to create opportunities for veterans to become economically active again.
This can only be achieved in an environment where the rule of law, transparency, and a level playing field prevail. This year has reminded us – painfully – that corruption still poses a threat to Ukraine from within. So let me be absolutely blunt: corruption is an enemy. Ukraine must fight it in the offices of power just as fiercely as the heroes fight on the front lines. Our message is crystal clear: 3Ps – Prevent, Publicize, Punish.
A country at war cannot afford a shadow economy, either. When the country is fighting for its life, a shadow economy becomes a second frontline. Everyone must pay taxes. Everyone must contribute. That is the price of freedom, and we must all carry it.
This year, security also took center stage. Security is the foundation of everything. Without security, there is no investment.
Yet here we stand together – business leaders, investors, employers – doing our jobs, keeping the economy running even in the harshest conditions. Business stood up for Ukraine during its darkest hours. And we call on the Government to stand up for business in 2026. We have the new Prime Minister and the Cabinet. We are grateful to the President, Parliament, and Government for the actionable B2G dialogue we have. Let’s accelerate it in 2026 to support transparent companies, uphold fair rules, and create the confidence investors need to stay and to grow.
I want to give a shout-out to departing Business Ombudsman Roman Waschuk for all the work done to defend fair competition and stand with bona fide businesses seeking justice. Thank you, Ambassador. We look forward to working with your successor.
As we sit here in Kyiv, some eighteen hours without electricity, the city swallowed in darkness, a quieter light refuses to go out. Even when the world around us is dim, the light within us burns steadily, and it is that light that keeps us moving forward.
A special thank you to all working non-stop to keep us connected, keeping us online even when there is no electricity. Thank you to our Partner of this evening – Vodafone.
Let’s drive a pro-growth agenda worthy of Ukraine’s resilience, worthy of its courage, and worthy of its victory.
Because the story of Ukraine is not a story of a victim. It is a story of courage, innovation, resilience, and unstoppable determination. A story written by the defenders on the frontlines. By a nation that refuses to give up. A story written by the companies in this room.
Thank you. Слава Україні!
Read Also
