European Commissioner Marta Kos and Ukrainian intellectuals discussed the role of culture and identity during the war

On February 23, during her visit to Kyiv, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos took part in a roundtable discussion “Culture and Identity in Wartime Ukraine and Their Importance for Europe”. The discussion was joined by Ukrainian intellectuals: poet and winner of the Kovaliv Foundation Award Lyubov Yakymchuk; writer, reporter, and five-time finalist for the BBC Book of the Year Award Artem Chapeye; writer, editor, cultural manager, and recipient of the Knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters Anastasia Levkova. The discussion was moderated by Volodymyr Yermolenko — a Ukrainian philosopher, journalist, writer, and president of PEN Ukraine.

For the past four years, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has not only been attacking Ukrainian territory but also attempting to destroy Ukraine’s culture, language, and identity. In this context, Ukrainian writers and artists — particularly those with firsthand experience of the war — play a special role in preserving memory and upholding Ukraine’s European choice.

The participants discussed the impact of the war on Ukrainian literature: stories written by veterans; how war reshapes ethics and language, how it sharpens sensitivity. Complex questions were also raised —could books about the war militarise Ukrainian literature?

Marta Kos mentioned that she now recognises Ukrainian books in the windows of Brussels bookstores, and just recently learned that composer Myroslav Skoryk was Ukrainian.

The event was also attended by Katarína Mathernová, the Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine, who shared her impressions: “Listening to these wise people, I felt enormous hope. Many speak today about a crisis of elites and principles. But after this evening, I believe that as long as people like those we met exist, hope for Europe — and for Ukraine — is very much alive“.