Ukraine continues to fight for freedom. Europe, for our shared values.
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Ukraine and the Defence of Europe: a strategic dialogue in Rome and the voice of the Ukrainian community
Rome hosted an event of great political and symbolic weight, “Ukraine and the Defence of Europe”, organised by the European Parliament Office in Italy together with the European Commission Representation in Italy, Linkiesta and the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy (CNAUI). It was the centrepiece of the high-level conference of 24 February 2026, held to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and to consider the strategic outlook for European defence.
The gathering brought together diplomats, European leaders, representatives of institutions, security experts and civil society, creating an open forum to examine today’s challenges and look for shared solutions. The programme included live links from Brussels, addresses by ambassadors, a discussion of Italy’s role in strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities, and humanitarian initiatives concerning young Ukrainians and the diaspora.
European leaders and the diplomatic corps
Leading figures from the European institutions took part in the strategic discussions:
- – Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament (live from Brussels)
- – Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament (live from Brussels)
- – Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission (video message)
- – Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space (video message)
- – Leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups
The diplomatic corps was represented by the ambassadors and deputy ambassadors of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland and Sweden.
Italy was represented by:
- – Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, Chair of the European Union Policies Committee of the Italian Senate
- – Lorenzo Guerini, Chair of COPASIR
- – Antonino Minardo, Chair of the Defence Committee of the Chamber of Deputies
All of them stressed the need for a more integrated, strategically autonomous and proactive European defence, in which Italy seeks to play a leading role.
Ukraine was represented at the event by Oksana Amdzhadin of the Embassy of Ukraine in Italy and by Taira, a symbol of the indomitable Ukrainian resistance.
The role of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy
Ukrainian civic initiatives were given a special place in the programme, and it was here that the voice of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy rang out clearly — an organisation that builds cultural, educational and humanitarian bridges between Ukraine and Italy.
Educational diplomacy: “100×100: Bridges of Education”
The Congress’s President, Lara Levchun, presented the project “100×100: Bridges of Education”, which today brings Ukrainian and Italian schools together.
The project has become a unique example of educational diplomacy, in which children and young people from the two countries take part in joint lessons, cultural exchanges and live broadcasts, building a space of trust and mutual understanding.
The faces of the children in the hall and on the live link were a reminder of the true purpose of our shared work: protecting the future, upholding dignity and raising a generation that grows up in freedom.
During the plenary session the Lesia Ukrainka Kyiv Lyceum No. 117, one of the project’s participants, joined online. The European audience was shown a video about the lives of Ukrainian children in wartime. The screening, made possible with the support of the International Women’s Movement “For Family Values”, was an important humanitarian moment of the event and allowed the European institutions to see the reality in which Ukrainian children live.
This link-up was further proof that the voice of Ukrainian schools is a voice of truth, resilience and hope — one that now resounds at the heart of Europe.
Ukraine’s cultural presence: “Give an Emotion: Colour after Black”
Alongside the educational initiative, the Congress’s Department of Culture presented its cultural project “Give an Emotion: Colour after Black”.
The journalist Olena Tolstokora, who has spent many years documenting stories of Ukrainian resilience, presented the project as proof that culture remains one of the most powerful instruments of resistance and self-identification.
An artistic gesture of resilience: a gift to the European Parliament
A particularly moving moment came when the artist Olena Hromova, coordinator of CNAUI’s artists’ association “Un Ponte di Colori” (“A Bridge of Colours”), presented one of her paintings to the Director of the European Parliament Office in Italy, Dr Carlo Corazza.
The gesture became a symbol of:
- – gratitude for the support given to Ukraine,
- – the cultural resilience of the Ukrainian people,
- – the promise that the colour of life will return even after the darkest pages of the war.
A community whose voice is heard in Europe
The participation of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy in such a high-level event confirmed that the Ukrainian community in Italy is not merely a community but an active institutional partner, able to make a meaningful contribution to the European dialogue.
The Congress continues to work so that:
- – every child,
- – every school,
- – every artist,
- – every volunteer in the Ukrainian community
feels seen, heard and recognised.
Looking to the future
The event in Rome was not only a platform for strategic discussion but also a space in which the Ukrainian community showed its strength, its maturity and its ability to be part of Europe’s future.
Ukraine continues to fight for freedom.
Europe, for our shared values.
And the Ukrainian community in Italy, for a bridge between them that will always stand — built on dignity, culture and education.
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