Trust Over Contracts: How UK–Ukraine Business Partnerships Survive War
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Diplomatic Legal Hub
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2026/08/17
John Jones on BUCC, UK-Ukraine Business Cooperation, and Wartime Investment
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Independent Journalist and DLH Coordinator
How is John Jones helping the British-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce strengthen UK-Ukraine business cooperation, SME development, wartime investment, and collaboration with Diplomatic Legal Hub?
Biography and Interview Overview
John Jones is a business and community figure active in Kyiv who serves as Co-Chair of the British-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce Advisory Management Council. He helps organize events, develop membership, connect businesses, and strengthen commercial ties between Britain and Ukraine. Jones has supported BUCC initiatives concerning SME development, networking, investment, and wartime business resilience. In June 2026, Diplomatic Legal Hub recognized his contribution to British-Ukrainian cooperation and his sustained support for Ukraine during the war.
In this interview, Scott Douglas Jacobsen and John Jones discuss the British-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, its networking role, SME support, war-risk insurance, and cooperation with the Diplomatic Legal Hub. Jones explains how British and Ukrainian companies can learn from each other, how Ukraine’s business environment has evolved since independence, and why trust, compliance, adaptability, and community matter during wartime. They also consider investment, legal support, international partnerships, reconstruction, and opportunities for deeper British-Ukrainian commercial collaboration efforts.
BUCC Leadership and War-Risk Insurance
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: As Co-Chair of the BUCC Advisory Management Council, what do you see as your principal responsibilities? Which areas of British-Ukrainian commercial cooperation need the most attention now?
John Jones: My responsibility is to build the audience, coordinate events, attract sponsors and members, and support the membership.
The BUCC co-chairs make final decisions, but I put together proposals and ideas for approval. One of the biggest issues British companies want help with is risk insurance, particularly war and political risk insurance. Established companies that have operated in Ukraine for many years have generally learned how to navigate the war and the political environment. New companies, however, often want our help and advice on what to do, when to do it, and where to operate.
Diplomatic Legal Hub and BUCC Cooperation
Jacobsen: How do you see the partnership between the Diplomatic Legal Hub and the British-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce developing? How do you envision this relationship evolving?
Jones: We will probably need to hold informational talks at some of our events to explain what DLH can do and provide examples of how it has assisted businesses or individuals.
Most of our members do not yet clearly understand what DLH can do. They may have read a brief description, but they do not necessarily have a practical sense of its work. We need to develop this relationship so our members and prospective members understand what legal, diplomatic, or other professional support may be available to help them succeed in Ukraine.
This also applies to Ukrainian companies that want to develop business relationships with partners in Britain or establish operations in the United Kingdom. DLH could potentially help them better understand the British business and legal environment, where regulatory, contractual, and compliance requirements can differ considerably from practices they may be accustomed to in Ukraine.
Business agreements today involve extensive documentation, signatures, filings, banking requirements, and regulatory procedures. The bureaucracy and documentation can sometimes be difficult for Ukrainian companies to navigate. Compliance is a major issue, including anti-corruption requirements and banking compliance.
With the help of DLH, I hope we can help bridge that gap and make the transition, or learning curve, easier for Ukrainian companies. I would also like to see BUCC events expand further in London and, when conditions permit, return more extensively to Odesa and Lviv.
Business Networking and Community Building
Jacobsen: The BUCC regularly holds business and networking events. How can people connect through these gatherings? Why should people use them to develop their own professional interests and strengthen cooperation between organizations such as the BUCC and DLH?
Jones: BUCC’s business networking events are open to members and invited individuals or businesses interested in the British-Ukrainian business community. They generally have a relaxed format, often with a presentation or discussion led by a guest speaker.
These events let people learn about issues affecting the business community and meet British, Ukrainian, international, and English-speaking professionals who may be relevant to their businesses or activities. They are as much about building community and new relationships as they are about education, promotion, or business development. I think they provide a relaxed environment for making new professional contacts and business connections.
Speakers, SMEs, and International Markets
We aim to have a speaker discuss a topic relevant to the time and place. Of course, we are always interested in developing a list of potential speakers for future events with a somewhat longer lead time. A lead time of three or four months is ideal because it gives us more time to prepare for and promote the speaker and the subject matter.
We also provide guidance and information on how small and medium-sized enterprises can develop and reach international markets, particularly Britain. SMEs are typically much more agile than large enterprises, so they can make decisions and act more quickly. However, they do not have the same financial resources or ability to travel to Britain to meet colleagues in similar industries and learn from their experiences.
Sharing the experiences of British SMEs with their Ukrainian counterparts is important to us, although those experiences are not always directly transferable. Ukraine is a particular business environment. There is still a significant amount of bureaucracy, some of it inherited from the Soviet period, but British companies also face extensive bureaucracy and regulatory requirements. We can help Ukrainian SMEs adjust to these additional compliance standards so that they are not caught by surprise when they sign contracts or develop partnerships.
Trust and Durable Wartime Partnerships
Jacobsen: What makes partnerships durable during wartime, particularly regarding business, investment, and finance?
Jones: It depends on the field. IT services are quite different from logistics, import-export, or commodities trading.
One factor that makes partnerships durable during wartime is goodwill and the trust it builds. Many British companies want to help Ukraine or Ukrainian companies.
This isn’t always true, but some companies can be arrogant and insist on doing things the way they always have. For companies willing to learn and approach the relationship without arrogance, potential partners offer a great deal of goodwill, advice, and assistance.
In general, British SMEs do not necessarily see Ukrainian SMEs as direct competitors. That can make it easier to cooperate and potentially form partnerships. Because of the war, there is also goodwill and a level of trust that might not otherwise exist. There is a motivation to take that extra step to help.
British people and organizations also have a strong tradition of charitable giving and voluntary support. I hesitate to describe business cooperation as charity, but there is often a willingness to help people and organizations facing difficult circumstances.
Shared Business Values, Connecting Businesses and Professional Networks
Jacobsen: Within the business cultures of Britain and Ukraine, which shared values provide the strongest points of contact for individuals seeking to build business partnerships?
Jones: That is a difficult question. As you said, business is fundamentally driven by economic incentives. Both sides want to make money, and neither side wants to lose.
Jacobsen: What kinds of assistance have been easiest for you to provide?
Jones: Probably the easiest and most useful thing is connecting people with contacts we have known for many years and determining whether a particular need or request is sincere and worthwhile.
The most straightforward form of assistance is connecting people with others who may benefit their business. That might involve logistics, legal services, information about a university from someone who has attended it, or introductions to people with relevant experience. It combines networking, social connections, and something resembling concierge services.
Ukraine’s Business Environment Before and After the Full-Scale Invasion
Jacobsen: You were in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion, including during the period surrounding Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, and you have remained involved since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. What changed in the business ecosystem after the full-scale invasion?
Jones: In the 1990s, Ukraine was sometimes described as the “Wild East.”
Everything was bad in different ways. That situation largely continued until the Orange Revolution.
After the Orange Revolution, Ukraine moved towards closer European integration. Things started to improve, becoming somewhat less chaotic and more aligned with European standards, although the changes did not immediately bring businesses into compliance with typical European practices.
After the Revolution of Dignity and the Euromaidan period of 2013–2014, businesses became much more serious about meeting European and broader Western standards. Ukraine subsequently deepened its economic and regulatory integration with the European Union through the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
In June 2017, visa-free travel to the Schengen Area came into effect for Ukrainian citizens with biometric passports, allowing stays of up to 90 days within any 180 days. As a result, Ukrainians could travel more easily throughout much of Europe and gain greater exposure to European business practices, regulation, and the rule of law.
From 2017 until the full-scale invasion, Ukraine was moving increasingly towards European standards. With Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, many Ukrainians left the country and began living and working elsewhere in Europe. You are now seeing more Ukrainian companies seeking compliance with European and other Western business and banking standards.
The “Wild East” environment is largely gone. Informal or questionable business practices still exist, but it is very different from when I first arrived, when people might show up to buy a $100,000 car with cash in a briefcase. Businesses are much more transparent and formalized than they were in the past.
What British and Ukrainian Businesses Can Learn from Each Other
Jacobsen: What can British businesspeople learn from Ukrainian businesses? Conversely, what can Ukrainian businesspeople learn from British businesses?
Jones: British businesses can learn that innovation and organizational change can happen much faster, and that employees can contribute more than simply showing up for work five days a week, eight hours a day.
Ukrainian companies often have a vitality that can feel less evident in Britain. Of course, there is a spectrum, and this does not apply to every company. But small and medium-sized enterprises here, in particular, often seem able to change, grow, innovate, and adapt quickly to market demands.
Ukrainian companies can learn from British companies that it is important to keep clean and clear records, look after employees, pay taxes, and comply with the law as closely as possible.
Ukrainian law can be complicated because the legal and regulatory system has evolved through several historical periods, including the Soviet legacy, post-independence Ukrainian legislation, and more recent efforts to align Ukrainian law with European Union standards. These different layers can sometimes create complexity or inconsistency.
People sometimes complain that regulatory complexity can create opportunities for arbitrary enforcement or improper payments. In my personal experience, however, the kinds of problems that small and medium-sized businesses once encountered with various inspection authorities, including fire, sanitary, and other regulatory bodies, have become much less common than they were in the past.
I do not know whether you have had experience with officials simply arriving in an official capacity and expecting some form of unofficial compensation. Restaurants, in particular, could find this very difficult because they were subject to health, safety, sanitation, and fire regulations.
Building the BUCC-DLH Professional Community
Jacobsen: The Diplomatic Legal Hub and the British-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce have formed a new partnership. Journalists, lawyers, businesspeople, diplomats, and others, including senior figures in their respective fields, will attend these events and engage with these organizations. How can they get involved? How can they make the best use of this partnership in pursuing their professional goals?
Jones: That is a very broad question, considering diplomats, lawyers, and all the others. One of the things we actively try to do during our events is introduce people to each other so that they can build a broad foundation of friends, potential business partners, and people they can talk to and trust.
Of course, we try to match people by business interests, but also by personal interests, whether that is golf, fishing, or something else. Within an international community, including the British community, it is important that when you come to Ukraine to do business, whether in the legal, political, commercial, or another field, you have a community of people who care about you in some capacity. That way, you don’t feel alone or that you have nobody to whom you can reach out.
We try to be an organization people can approach if they feel somewhat lost or wonder, “Who can I talk to about this or that?” We can connect them with someone who may be able to help. It is about building a social and business foundation so they no longer feel like a fish out of water.
Jacobsen: John, thank you very much for the opportunity and for your time.
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