Building the future together: what Europe means to young Ukrainians

Today is 24 February. Four years ago, our world changed forever. Yet, if you sit in a coffee shop in Lviv today, you see something incredible. The city just finished its year as the European Youth Capital 2025, and the energy is electric. Students are debating start-ups, the coffee is specialty, and the vibe feels exactly like Berlin or Krakow. Then, the air raid siren cuts through the noise. This is our reality. We live in two worlds at once: a vibrant European culture and a fight for survival. 

I often hear politicians talk about Ukraine “joining” the EU, but if you ask my generation, we see it differently. We aren’t walking into a stranger’s house. We are returning to our own. 

This blog isn’t about treaties. Instead, I want to show you why “Europe” is a feeling we already have in our bones – and why we are ready to build the future with you.

We have to be honest about why we chose this path in the first place. We didn’t choose the European direction because we wanted better roads or higher subsidies, although those things matter. Our shared moral compass is the reason we selected it. Freedom was ranked as the most essential value by 91% of young Ukrainians in a survey conducted during the most difficult years of the conflict, surpassing both financial security and personal comfort.

For us, ideas like the rule of law and human dignity are more than just phrases we learned for a class test. We work so hard to protect such things because we know exactly what the world would look like when they are gone. We stand on the same ethical base, so when a student in Kyiv speaks about justice, they are using the same language as a student in Brussels.

Then, people may claim that Ukraine is “learning” democracy from the West, but a closer examination of our past reveals that we have a natural desire for freedom. Our predecessors were drafting constitutions and choosing their leaders in open councils, while our eastern counterparts were establishing absolute empires in which the Tsar was a deity.

We have a “Democratic DNA” that makes us physically allergic to authoritarianism. That is why the 2014 Revolution of Dignity occurred: not due to outside influence, but rather because, after centuries of repression, the innate desire to hold those in positions of authority accountable finally surfaced. We are merely going back to the political culture of freedom that has always characterised who we are; we are not attempting to change who we are.

We also need to face the truth about our security. The young generation in Ukraine today has had to mature more quickly than anyone anticipated. Because we have learned from bitter experience that safety is a daily work rather than a gift that is guaranteed, we have become the Shield of Europe.

We are safeguarding the entire continent’s security architecture by holding the line. We are now actively contributing to safety instead of just passively receiving it, so that families from Warsaw to Lisbon can rest easy knowing that we are keeping an eye on things.

Please don’t make the mistake of seeing us only through the lens of conflict. We are a massive hub for innovation, with an IT sector valued at over $6.8 billion that continued to grow even during the darkest times. We aren’t looking for charity; we are looking for partners who understand that our tech sector is ready to energise the single market. 

Look at Diia, our digital state ecosystem, which is so advanced that Estonia used our code to launch their own version, mRiik. That is what real partnership looks like. We are demonstrating that post-war reconstruction will be a significant investment opportunity rather than an expense by exporting concepts and technology solutions. We are co-creators of the contemporary economy, from agritech to green energy.

Finally, being European doesn’t mean we have to stop being Ukrainian. In fact, the EU motto “United in Diversity” describes our situation perfectly. We are incredibly proud of our language, our art, and our resilience, and we believe these distinct traits make the European family richer.

Our artists are an essential component of the European scene, as demonstrated by initiatives such as France’s “Voyage to Ukraine” cultural season. Being a patriot improves me as a European because I provide my own distinct viewpoint, which broadens the community’s diversity and strengthens it.

The road to full membership might look long on paper, but in our minds, the destination has already been reached. We share the values, we share the history, and we are fighting every single day for the future we all want to see. 

So, here is my message to you: don’t look at Ukraine as a problem to be solved. Look at us as a partner to be embraced. We bring energy, digital skills, and a fierce love for freedom that can revitalise the entire European project. Stay curious about us, read our authors, and support our youth initiatives. The future of Europe is being written right now, and we are holding the pen together.