Scientific blog post: Establishing a Ukrainian Development Bank is key to Ukraine’s post-war recovery, to foster both international trust and local ownership. This column describes how, drawing on lessons from the European national development banks and Ukraine’s recent reforms, a Ukrainian Development Bank could integrate existing financial structures, channel EU aid, support small and medium-sized enterprises, and drive economic modernisation. Balancing local ownership with robust governance and civil oversight to mitigate corruption risks will be crucial to ensure effective integration into the EU and sustainable development.