Finland’s development cooperation in Ukraine

Finland provides long-term support to Ukraine’s education sector. The photo is from the Learning Together project, which has contributed to the reform of Ukraine’s school system and the enhancement of teaching quality. Photo: Learning Together project

Outcomes of Finland’s development cooperation with Ukraine in 2025–2028

Finland’s bilateral cooperation with Ukraine focuses on improving the quality of teaching, strengthening the rule of law and civil defence, reinforcing energy security, improving climate resilience and developing the economy. Gender equality and the promotion of human rights are cross-cutting themes.

Finland has supported Ukraine through long-term development cooperation since 2014. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Finland has increased and adjusted its support to respond better to the acute distress and strengthen Ukrainian society in the midst of the war.

Finland's support and cooperation are based on Ukraine's needs. Finland’s Country Programme for Development Cooperation in Ukraine 2025–2028, drawn up by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, complements Finland’s National Plan for Reconstruction of Ukraine. It brings together the activities financed by Finland's Official Development Assistance.

Finland’s total budget for development cooperation with Ukraine in 2024–2028 will be at least EUR 320 million. In addition to responding to Ukraine's acute needs and providing long-term support for education and training, the environment, energy and the rule of law, the programme places special emphasis on cooperation with the private sector and on civil defence.

Finland’s development cooperation in the education and health sectors

Finland’s development cooperation helps improve teaching practices and learning environments in schools and makes vocational education a more attractive option. In the health sector, cooperation focuses especially on supporting young people affected by psychosocial trauma and on building partnerships between the Finnish and Ukrainian health ministries. New forms of cooperation will be explored during the programme period.

Expected outcome: Improved quality of teaching

  • Teaching practices and learning environments in secondary education will improve.
  • Vocational education and training become a more appealing option for both women and men.

Ongoing programmes and projects

  • Finland is providing EUR 20 million in funding for a bilateral project to further develop secondary education in 2025–2029. The project is expected to launch in 2025.
  • Finland is also supporting a reform of vocational education and training through a joint project between the Finnish National Agency for Education and Ukraine’s Ministry of Education. The project involves training teachers and school managers, and improving competences in the provision of vocational education and training. Finland’s contribution is EUR 2.2 million for 2024–2026.

Finland's development cooperation in the environment and energy sectors

Finland’s development cooperation supports modern climate-friendly energy solutions and improves meteorological services and early warning systems for disaster risks. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has led to large-scale destruction of Ukraine’s energy production plants and power grid.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Environment are preparing measures to support Ukraine’s environmental sector immediately and in the longer term. Finland co-chairs the working group tasked with the environmental goals of Ukraine’s peace plan.

Expected outcome: Improved energy security and climate resilience

  • Modern technologies and solutions that are energy efficient and rely on renewable energy are introduced on a larger scale.
  • Meteorological and nuclear safety services and mechanisms for reducing disaster risks are improved.
  • Measurement technology for assessing war-induced environmental damage will improve and environmental legislation and its implementation will evolve.

Ongoing programmes and projects

  • The Green Recovery Programme for Ukraine, administered by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (Nefco), for rebuilding infrastructure and introducing modern energy-efficient solutions. Finland’s contribution of EUR 5 million is used to rebuild school buildings destroyed by war.
  • The Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development supports energy efficiency improvements. Finland has contributed EUR 7.5 million to the E5P.
  • Meteorology cooperation between the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center. Finland’s support totals EUR 2.35 million in 2022–2025.
  • Cooperation between the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Finnish Environment Institute and the Ukrainian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources in monitoring air and water quality and terrestrial ecosystems. Finland’s contribution to these two projects is EUR 4 million for 2024–2028.
  • Finland is providing EUR 2.5 million for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for measures such as assessing the environmental impacts of the war and for planning reconstruction in 2024–2026.
  • Cooperation between Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority and the Nordic radiation safety authorities to improve radiation and nuclear safety in Ukraine. Finland supports this cooperation with around EUR 1 million in 2023–2025.
  • Finland is supporting the development and use of sustainable forest biomass for decentralised energy through a project involving Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Finnish Forest Centre, in cooperation with Ukraine’s State Forest Resources Agency and the Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration. Finland’s support totals around EUR 1 million for 2025–2028.

Finland's development cooperation to strengthen the rule of law and develop civil defence

Finland supports Ukraine in strengthening the implementation of European standards in the rule of law, democracy and human rights. Development cooperation is also expanding into civil defence, and Finland is stepping up its work to promote gender equality through UN Women starting in 2025.

This work supports Finland’s broader goal of helping Ukraine become more resilient, recover from the war and carry out the reforms needed for EU membership.

Expected outcome: Stronger rule of law, support for the sustainability of the democratic system and development of the Ukrainian civil defence system

  • Supporting Ukraine's convergence with the EU by strengthening the rule of law and good governance
  • Strong civil defence system

Ongoing programmes and projects

  • The Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine. Finland’s contribution totals EUR 4 million for 2024–2025, with further support under consideration.
  • Funding for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) projects in Ukraine. Finland’s contribution totals EUR 3 million for 2024–2025.
  • The Finnish Tax Administration’s project “Building Trust in the State Tax Service of Ukraine” aims to strengthen Ukraine’s tax authority by improving its capacity to manage and implement reforms, increasing integrity and building public trust. The project supports Ukraine’s convergence with the EU by developing the tax system in line with the European model and advancing the Ukrainian tax administration’s digitalisation. Finland’s support totals EUR 1.6 million in 2025–2029.
  • A project led by Finland’s Ministry of the Interior supports Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Emergency Service in developing a national civil defence system, including legislation, guidance and a roadmap for large-scale building of shelters. The project provides technical and strategic support to the international civil defence coalition co-led by Ukraine and Finland. The project’s budget is EUR 2.2 million for 2025–2027.

Finland's development cooperation to strengthen economic development and cooperation

Ukraine is actively pursuing equal commercial and economic partnerships and cooperation with Finland. Developing a more equal partnership with Ukraine is also Finland’s goal, with private sector playing a central role.

Ongoing programmes and projects

  • Finland supports the European Investment Bank (EIB) EU for Ukraine (EU4U) Fund by EUR 5 million. The EU4U Fund complements both the EU’s funding allocated to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction and EU macro-financial assistance. The fund supports Ukraine’s convergence with the EU and helps finance the reconstruction of municipal infrastructure.
  • Finland supports the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Ukraine Capacity Development Fund (UCDF) with EUR 1 million in 2024–2027. The fund supports the Ukrainian government’s own policies and economic reform agenda, which focuses on macro-financial stabilisation, post-war reconstruction and Ukraine’s path to EU membership.
  • Through the Finland–Ukraine Investment Facility (FUIF), Finland will fund public sector projects up to the value of EUR 50 million in Ukraine during 2025–2026.
  • Finnvera, Finland’s export credit agency, provides export guarantees for trade with Ukraine. These guarantees are backed by a EUR 100 million special loss compensation commitment from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which also covers FUIF projects. In addition, Finnvera can offer up to EUR 30 million in export guarantees to Finnish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) trading with Ukraine, backed by the European Investment Fund.
  • Finnfund, Finland’s development finance institution, has a EUR 25 million capital increase to support investments in Ukraine, especially in projects involving Finnish companies.
  • The Finnpartnership business partnership programme has been granted an additional EUR 8 million to support projects in Ukraine that involve Finnish businesses.
  • The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has increased its capital to enable more investment in Ukraine’s economy. EBRD loans support energy and food security, infrastructure, trade and the private sector.

Finland's support to programmes responding to urgent needs

  • The Partnership Fund for Resilient Ukraine. Finland is contributing EUR 4.3 million in 2022–2024 and EUR 4.5 million in 2025–2027.

  • The World Bank’s Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance (PEACE) Project that helps the Ukrainian government pay the wages of public-service and school employees and sustain the public sector’s ability to deliver public and basic services. Finland’s support to PEACE totals EUR 35 million in 2022–2025.
  • The World Bank’s Special Program for Ukraine and Moldova Recovery (SPUR) aims to improve the capacity of the Ukrainian government to provide basic public services and to restore critical infrastructure, implement policy reforms and accelerate long-term recovery and reconstruction in key sectors. Finland is providing a total of EUR 62 million in support for the programme through loans and grants.
  • At Ukraine’s request, Finland has delivered temporary family homes for Ukrainians who have lost their homes in the war and mobile accommodation facilities for rescue personnel.

Highlights of the Results Report 2021–2024

During the programming period, the situation in Ukraine was dominated by Russia’s large-scale illegal war of aggression, launched in February 2022, which caused a severe humanitarian crisis and destroyed the country's infrastructure, among other damage. Despite the war, Ukraine continued its social reforms and was granted EU candidate country status in June 2022. Finland substantially increased its support in response to the war, and Ukraine became Finland’s most significant development cooperation partner and recipient of humanitarian assistance.

Finland’s support for the education sector helped ensure that schooling could continue during the war. Finland contributed to the World Bank’s Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance (PEACE) Fund, which was used to pay salaries to staff at schools. With this support, over 12,000 schools were able to continue operating, ensuring teaching for 3.6 million pupils. In addition, Finland supported the education sector’s New Ukrainian School reform, which included training for nearly 2,800 teachers.

The EU4Skills programme for vocational education and training strengthened the capacity of 154 educational institutions to provide accommodation for internally displaced persons, and over 40,000 such persons benefited from mental health and psychosocial support. The programme developed 45 online courses and 25 online study material packages.

In the rule of law sector, Finland supported the Council of Europe programme to improve the human rights knowledge of legal professionals in Ukraine. These professionals benefited, among other things, from the HELP online educational platform, which now counts 17,000 users.

In the field of energy and environmental security, Finland supported energy efficiency and green reconstruction. Projects implemented through international financial institutions saved 385 megawatt hours of electricity and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 333 tonnes. Finland also funded the work of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to monitor environmental damage and support green recovery, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s project which connected Ukraine to the European weather warning system.

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