Ukraine

Ukraine is undergoing a historic political, economic, and social transformation. The recently-elected democratic government is working to reform public institutions as the nation battles a legacy of decades of corruption, Russia’s illegal occupation of the Crimean Peninsula, and the ongoing war against Russian-backed separatists in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area within the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The quality of travel and tourist services remains uneven throughout the country, and it can be difficult to find some of the goods and services commonly available in the United States. Ukrainian is the official language with Russian being widely used in Eastern and Southern Ukraine; use of English is increasing but is still not widely used outside of major cities. Please see the Department of State Fact Sheet on Ukraine for additional information.