Amid war, Ukraine has risen to the top of global rankings in public sector digital transformation in just a few years. When Russia started its full scale invasion, Ukraine did not rely on ad hoc fixes, but on structures that had been built long before. In her keynote at Gofore’s annual Digital Society 26 event, Valeriya Ionan, Advisor to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Advisor to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, shared what Finland and Europe can learn from Ukraine about safeguarding a resilient digital society.
Within a short period of time, Ukraine has become an international benchmark for digital government. Ionan’s message to European leaders shaping the future of digitalisation is clear: a digital society must be built before it is needed.
The foundations of Ukraine’s public digital services are rooted in a long-term vision, determined leadership, and citizen-centric technology. Together, these elements have enabled a level of resilience that has proven critical for a country defending itself under extreme conditions.
Strategic turn laid the foundation for change
Ukraine’s level of public-sector digitalisation has taken a monumental leap in a short time. In 2018, the country ranked 102nd in international comparisons of digital development. In 2024, it ranked fifth. Ionan describes this shift as an exceptional strategic change of direction.
“The turning point came in 2019, when Ukraine established a Ministry of Digital Transformation. At the same time, we created a new leadership role, CDTO, responsible for driving change at both national and regional levels “, Ionan explains.
According to Ionan, it was not about launching individual projects but about systemic transformation.
“Our goal was to break down silos and lead transformation consistently across the entire state. The work was guided by a clear, shared long-term vision: we wanted to build the most digital country in the world.”
Digital resilience is built before war
Russia’s invasion in 2022 changed Ukraine’s operating environment overnight. While the priorities of the digital strategy shifted, the overall direction did not. Ionan stresses that Ukraine’s ability to respond under extreme conditions rests on one decisive factor.
“We did not build digital resilience during the war. It had already been built.”
As the operating environment transformed in an instant, the focus of the digital strategy adjusted just as quickly, but the direction remained.
An entire state as a digital platform
The most visible embodiment of Ukraine’s digital state is Diia, a comprehensive service ecosystem that brings together public services, official documents, and trustworthy information for citizens. Through a single digital platform, Diia provides access to the full range of Ukraine’s public-sector services.
Television and radio broadcasts were rapidly integrated into the Diia app, used by 24 million Ukrainians, so that reliable government information remained available to citizens. In response to large-scale internal displacement caused by the war, a new service was built in just a few days, enabling access to financial aid, public services, and essential information for those who had to leave their homes.
When physical services collapse,
digital services keep the society running.
“The Diia ecosystem helped preserve citizens’ trust in a situation of constant uncertainty. The war forced government to operate in a new way — faster, more openly, and in close cooperation with different parts of society”, Ionan summarises.
War accelerates innovation
Exceptional circumstances have reshaped how Ukraine develops its public services. According to Ionan, decision-making has accelerated significantly, and innovation moves in tight cycles: a problem is identified, a solution is developed, tested, and deployed almost immediately. Rather than stopping innovation, the war has intensified it and pushed the government to operate in fundamentally new ways.
“With the Diia ecosystem, new state support services could be launched within days or weeks — not months or years. At the same time, collaboration between government, businesses, and civil society has deepened significantly. The public sector no longer works alone as solutions are built together”, Ionan explains.
All Diia services are funded from the state budget, and their rollout has been supported by a cultural shift. Both public officials and citizens have had to adopt more open ways of working and using digital services. Ionan emphasises that ease of use and tangible everyday value have been critical to success.
Trust is built when people experience real value from the digital society in their daily lives.
Towards an agentic state
Looking ahead, Ionan says Ukraine is already moving into the next phase of digital development. The digital state is evolving into an agentic state, where artificial intelligence proactively supports citizens’ daily lives and public-sector decision-making.
Ukraine is already building its own AI Factory and developing Siaivo, its national large language model, as part of its ambition to become a global frontrunner in the use of AI in the public sector. Diia already features an AI agent, and the next step is Diia AI, a version of the app where AI will deliver public services directly, anticipating citizens’ needs and suggesting next steps. The broader vision is a state that acts proactively, where AI agents handle routine interactions so that citizens receive outcomes before they even have to ask.
“The goal is not efficiency alone, but a better everyday life for people and a state that can act before problems escalate”, Ionan concludes.
A clear message for Europe
To conclude her keynote, Ionan shared the key lessons from Ukraine to Europe. Everything starts with a clear, shared long-term vision that guides everyday decision-making. Ambitious goals are broken down into concrete sub-projects, and trust is built through real, tangible benefits.
“The public sector cannot succeed alone. It needs close cooperation with businesses and civil society. Technology should not be treated as a resolution itself, but rather as a means to support citizens and strengthen society’s ability to function, even in situations where nothing goes according to plan”, Ionan summarises.