Political mayhem has dominated news headlines about Ukraine in the past decade. But, despite the disruption, the country’s economy grew impressively until last year’s dramatic plunge triggered by the global economic crisis.

The downturn has exposed the vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s export-oriented economy. Reforms that could have fueled small- and medium-sized businesses and provided a cushion during shocks, have not been implemented, at least in part because the commercial world is dominated by large businesses.