Peterson Institute for International Economics
March 2026
Abstract
Ukraine’s reconstruction is often framed as a financing challenge, but the bigger challenge is institutional: Ukraine must credibly reassure domestic and foreign investors that market-oriented rules, transparent regulation, private property protection, and contract enforcement will prevail and that its territorial integrity will be secure. A free trade agreement with the United States can help Ukraine provide this assurance.
Citation
Lawrence, Robert. "Anchoring Ukraine’s postwar recovery with a US-Ukraine free trade agreement." Peterson Institute for International Economics, March 2026.