“Ukrainian defence companies are demonstrating incredible resilience, innovating amidst constant shelling and power shortages. However, the gap between Ukrainian realities and European compliance standards remains a critical challenge for the industry's integration into the EU market and for attracting capital,” noted Oleksandra Azarkhina, Head of Defence Industries Initiatives at ESCU. She was speaking during a closed roundtable co-hosted with the Basel Institute on Governance, which brought together representatives of the Ukrainian defence industry, international banking, and compliance experts.
Oleksandra explained that implementing internal controls is not about bureaucracy, but about ensuring transparency and interoperability with partners. “Companies adopting compliance do more than just unlock doors to international investment; they enhance the safety and quality of the products supplied to the Armed Forces on the frontline”, she added.