Europe Day in Brussels: meetings, opportunities and support for Ukraine 

Author: Yuliia Vodko

The Young European Ambassadors’ visit to Brussels during the Europe Day celebration on 3-7 May was full of meetings, communication and clear signals of support for Ukraine. The most striking aspect of this expression was a particular stand dedicated to the expression of solidarity with Ukraine within the framework of Europe Day, which you can read about in Kateryna Kravchenko’s article, Standing in Solidarity: blue and yellow wall of support at Europe Day.

Our visit began with a meeting featuring Mathieu Bousquet, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate General for the Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR). During the session, we discussed European integration and the path towards EU membership for neighbouring countries. Bousquet emphasised the importance of taking action rather than waiting for membership to become a reality. He encouraged youth involvement and highlighted the need for collaborative efforts to drive positive change.

During cross-regional activities with young people from the Western Balkans and the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood, YEAs had the opportunity to strengthen bonds, fostering interaction and collaboration among participants from various countries. This exchange allowed for a deeper understanding of different cultures and maintained a sense of support and solidarity among us.

We were also involved in a workshop organised by the European Training Foundation, where we each discussed various innovations from our experience, including digitalisation and environmental issues, communicated with participants from other countries and presented our solutions for sustainable development.

The European Training Foundation (ETF) supports neighbouring countries in making the best use of the abilities and skills of its citizens by transforming vocational education and training (VET) systems and the labour market.

One of the workshops focused on “green and digital skills for the future”. YEAs worked in groups – each addressing specific issues related to the EU’s core values. The goal was to develop a strategy to address the problem identified by our group, which was related to the core values of the EU, specifically digital transition, cultural/creative industries, and gender. As a Ukrainian group, we tackled gender equality in the context of the war in Ukraine, highlighted the existing inequalities and proposed potential solutions. Interestingly, our colleague from Azerbaijan shared her experience of how women in her country can do military service and what restrictions exist. The workshop allowed us to exchange ideas and learn from one another’s experiences, fostering a broader perspective on gender-related challenges. 

Our day at the European Commission building started with a meeting with Laurence Meredith, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations. He began his speech by reassuring us that the European Union stands with Ukraine and that it is essential that Ukraine wins this war, including the complete restoration of its territorial integrity.

During a meeting with a representative of the EU4Youth project, we learned about the opportunities provided by the EU for young people from Ukraine.

The main goal of the EU4Youth programme is to help young people in Eastern partner countries find jobs and get involved in their communities. It started in 2017 and is managed by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR).

The EU4Youth programme is structured around three main pillars. First is education and employability, which means developing work-ready skills, creating more education and employment opportunities, and formal and nonformal education. Second is entrepreneurship and employment, which means increasing entrepreneurial skills and investing in initiatives to promote (social) entrepreneurship education, including green and digital innovation. And the third is promoting more quality jobs, especially for disadvantaged youth and developing targeted youth employment measures for engagement and empowerment. The programme also provides small and large grants.

The meeting with representatives of the European Union Diplomatic Service – the European External Action Service – was an eye-opener. They told us about how they work on diplomatic relations with neighbouring EU countries and what policies they pursue towards them. One of the most exciting stories was how the diplomatic service fights disinformation, especially Russian disinformation, which has intensified since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I asked how the team working on this measures its effectiveness and evaluates its impact. The answer was fascinating: we understand that we are impacting those who spread disinformation when they start to change their tactics, meaning they realise they are being exposed. The first sign of a lie is a complete denial of what happened, even the possibility of its existence, i.e. a simple denial or refutation. The second is accusations of provocation. It is as if the victim is to blame for what happened; their provocation was the root cause. This is followed by discrediting the victim. For example, in the case of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia accused Ukrainians of being Nazis and justified its actions by “denazification”. The fourth method of manipulation and disinformation is deliberately mixing fictitious accusations. Many actors are allegedly guilty and involved, diverting attention from the real culprit. Finally, the fifth technique used to distract from the true nature of things and manipulate consciousness is asking rhetorical questions such as “What about this?” called “whataboutism”. This references situations from different contexts that do not refute the reality and truthfulness of the current facts. Still, because of their indirect similarity, they force the conversation and attention to a completely different situation to move away from finding a solution and a culprit here and now.

The last but not the least day, which was the key, because it was on 6 May that the doors of the European Commission were opened to celebrate Europe Day, was filled with warm emotions, support and gratitude. Thousands of people visiting the space dedicated to expressing solidarity with Ukraine were able to find a lot of relevant information about Russia’s war against Ukraine and the EU’s support on information stands and screens showing videos recorded by Young European Ambassadors from Ukraine.

Together with other YEAs, we moderated the process of creating a blue-yellow wall, which consisted of thousands of words of support, gratitude, and wishes from people from all over the world in all languages, who left a piece of their heart on the stickers, and in response received badges with the flags of Ukraine and the EU. This action greatly inspired visitors and gave us the strength and understanding that we are not alone, that the world is with us, Europe is with us, and that a shared desire unites people of different nations for peace and victory over the evil that destroys it. “We will support you as long as it takes. Slava Ukraini!” one sticker says. “Thank you for defending not only your country but Europe. We’re with you!” says another. “The EU will never leave you alone”: as I read this, I understood with awe that I will keep these words and this support in myself forever and carry on as a light and a path for others.