An online meeting was held between Tetiana Berezhna, Acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, and Alessandro Giuli, Minister of Culture of the Italian Republic, to discuss ongoing collaboration in cultural initiatives and the protection of European cultural spaces from Russian propaganda.
During the conversation, Berezhna expressed gratitude for Italy’s comprehensive support in countering Russian aggression and highlighted the significant role of the Italian government in organizing the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2025 in Rome.
“We are grateful to the Italian government for the tremendous work done in organizing and conducting URC 2025. This large-scale event allowed for numerous meetings and the conclusion of agreements and memoranda totaling approximately €11 billion. It is important that all commitments are fulfilled with concrete results, and we will work together to achieve this,” she said.
Key outcomes of URC 2025 included the signing of the Rome Manifesto, the creation of the Cultural Resilience Alliance, the announcement of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund, and the launch of the CuRe platform. The Ukrainian Ministry is actively developing these initiatives and attracting new partners.
Looking ahead, Berezhna informed her Italian counterpart about preparations for the second Ukraine Culture Conference, scheduled for November 2025 in Denmark under the EU Council Presidency, and invited Minister Giuli to participate. She also highlighted Italy’s contribution to restoring cultural and historical sites in Odessa and the Odessa region, expressing special thanks to Giuli for his personal efforts.
The discussion also focused on countering Kremlin attempts to use culture as a tool of propaganda and hybrid aggression. Minister Giuli reaffirmed Italy’s principled position in supporting Ukraine and preventing performances by Russian artists who serve Kremlin interests, citing the cancellation of a concert featuring Russian conductor Valery Gergiev in July as an example.
“The flag under which the aggressor commits war crimes and kills civilians in Ukraine every day cannot symbolize cultural freedom or fly over venues hosting artistic events in free countries,” Berezhna stated, thanking the Italian Government for its stance.
Finally, the ministers exchanged views on measures to ensure that cultural events are not exploited to spread narratives of the aggressor state, emphasizing the importance of continued cooperation in safeguarding Ukrainian culture and heritage.
