Prof Dr Norbert Lammert, Oleksii Makeiev and Eva Yakubovska open the event
In his opening speech, our Chairman Prof Dr Norbert Lammert spoke clearly about the future of Europe, quoting the first German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer: ‘One day the moment will come and must come when this Europe can help itself again and must stand on its own two feet.’ That moment has come today. Lammert continued: ‘With Cafe Kyiv, we want to send a clear signal: We stand by Ukraine - resolutely and continuously, because our common future is at stake.’ Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev also emphasised this once again: ‘Ukraine is Europe (...) and our security is inseparable.’ Eva Yakubovska, Board Member of Vitsche and curator at the Pilecki Institute Berlin, concluded by emphasising the importance of solidarity in difficult times: ‘Dark times bring out bright people - and they come together every year at Cafe Kyiv.’
Cafe Kyiv was characterised by exciting and informative panels dealing with Ukraine and the Russian war of aggression. More than 200 speakers from various fields shared their expertise, personal experiences and new perspectives with the 5,000 guests.
More Strategy! Why Ukraine is Integral for Better Strategy in Europe
One focus was on security policy issues. ‘Too many have not realised that this conflict is not just a threat to Ukraine, but a direct threat to Europe and our democracy.’ With these powerful words, Anton Hofreiter, Chairman of the Committee on European Union Affairs in the German Bundestag, opened the panel ‘More Strategy! Why Ukraine is Integral for Better Strategy in Europe’.
Together, the participants discussed how Europe can overcome its strategic deficit. Stefanie Babst, former Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO, also emphasised: ‘Any future decision must clearly recognise that Russia's challenge to Ukraine - and therefore to us - will not simply disappear, whether through negotiations or threats. The war affects us all.’
Synergies for reconstruction. What can partnerships achieve?
The ‘Synergies for Reconstruction’ panel emphasised the importance of cooperation between civil society, business and academia in order to develop sustainable solutions for Ukraine. A key example of this is the ‘Reconstruction Ukraine’ platform, which networks various stakeholder groups in order to utilise synergies and promote cooperation.
The effectiveness of such partnerships is reflected in the guiding principle of Alexander Tebbe, who says: ‘Ukraine cannot be rebuilt with donations.’ For this reason, he and his start-up developed the first crowdfunding share for the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is precisely these innovative ideas and collaborative approaches that create the basis for a sustainable future and pave the way for long-term reconstruction.
More Strategy! The Black Sea Region
The panel ‘More Strategy! The Black Sea Area’ discussed whether the Black Sea region can become an “EU body of water”. While Romania and Bulgaria are already EU members, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Turkey are also striving for membership. But what role should the EU and Germany play in this crucial region?
Ukrainian MEP Iryna Gerashchenko explained: ‘The security of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov is a key factor for the security of Ukraine, Turkey, NATO and the EU.’ Adriana-Loreta Stănescu, Romania's ambassador, added that the neighbouring states have so far been united primarily by their resistance to Russia - a cooperation that must be further strengthened in the future.
The economy of war: who keeps Ukraine going?
‘Ukraine is surviving thanks to volunteers,’ said Alina Samatska, war veteran and volunteer, opening the discussion on the central role of private initiatives in the war of aggression. In the panel, experts from politics, the military and civil society discussed how private initiatives, NGOs and the economy are strengthening the Ukrainian resistance - and what is needed to make these structures sustainable in the long term. ‘A state always has resources, but acts very slowly,’ Serhii “Jedi” Rotchuk sums it up. In the same context, CDU MP Roderich Kiesewetter emphasised how important it is to act with foresight: ‘If we want to prevent war, we have to be ready and willing to defend ourselves. It's about peace in freedom and self-determination.’ A particular highlight of the discussion was a flight of a drone in the packed cinema hall, which was actually used in war. The panel made it impressively clear that war is not only decided by weapons, but also by logistics, supplies and social cohesion.
Art, culture and cuisine: experience Ukraine with all your senses
Once again this year, art, culture and culinary delights had their place at Cafe Kyiv. At the Skyrynya Pop-Up-Market and in the Cafe Kyiv Bookstore, visitors were able to discover antiques, fashion and jewellery in Ukrainian design as well as books with a Ukrainian connection. There were also plenty of culinary attractions: the restaurants Marone, Kashtan and Küche UA treated guests to traditional Ukrainian specialities such as varenyky, holubtsi and syrnyky. A special highlight was the virtual reality exhibition ‘Living the War’ organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. It offered impressive insights into the lives of the Ukrainian population during the Russian invasion. DJ Yuriy Gurzy and TANKATAKA rounded off the evening with music and an acoustic performance.
The KAS at Cafe Kyiv
Once again this year, we were particularly keen to contribute with many of our own projects and activities from the Analysis and Consultancy, the European and International Cooperation and the Scientific Services departments.
This included the panel ‘Empowering Talent: Labour Market Integration of Ukrainian Refugees in Germany and Europe’, in which the panellists spoke about the challenges that Ukrainians face when integrating into the labour market. Another focus was on the fate of Ukrainian children. For this Sabine Oelmann, spoke about the book ‘Stolen Lives: The Abducted Children of Ukraine - 20 Moving Fates’ which she collaborated on with Tatjana Kiel and Wladimir Klitschko. For her research, she spoke to those affected – the stolen children and their relatives. Oelmann described the traumatic experiences of these children. Russia is trying to ‘Russify’ them. This is a war crime that is psychological terror not only for the children themselves, but also for their relatives. She reminded the audience that most cases do not always have a happy ending: Of the approximately 19,500 children abducted, only just under 1,200 have been repatriated so far.
The panel ‘Occupation, Liberation, Preservation. The state archives of the Kherson region and the preservation of Ukraine's historical heritage’ made it impressively clear that archives are not only preservers of history, but also targets in war. Saving the Ukrainian archives is more than a historical concern - it is a question of the future. Visitors were able to donate to this cause.
#StandWithUkraine
For more than 1,000 days, Ukrainians have been fighting tirelessly for their and our freedom. Cafe Kyiv, with all its guests and co-operation partners, once again made it clear that we stand by the people of Ukraine. Because as Konrad Adenauer said? ‘We choose freedom.’
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About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.