Poland in Cyprus

The aim of the joint initiative was to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale aggression and to emphasise that Ukraine is not alone in the face of Russian aggression and that Europe remains united in defending international law, democracy and human rights. The organisers intended not only to bring the realities of the war in Ukraine closer to Cypriot society, but also to fill the information gap regarding the consequences of Russian aggression for the security of the whole of Europe.

The programme of Ukraine Week included an expert debate on EU enlargement and Ukraine’s path to membership, meetings with direct witnesses of the war, film screenings, and events involving journalists and photographers documenting Russian crimes.

The official opening of the week took place on 24 February at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre. During the event, an op-ed supporting Ukraine, signed by 16 ambassadors accredited in Cyprus, was presented to journalists. The meeting was attended by the former mayor of Kherson, Volodymyr Mykolaienko, who spent three years in Russian captivity.

On 25 February, under the leadership of the Embassies of Poland and Sweden, an expert panel entitled “Ukraine's EU Accession – Opportunities and Strategic Interest” was organised at the premises of the Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus. Alongside Swedish and Ukrainian experts, the debate featured Dr. Tadeusz Iwański from the Centre for Eastern Studies, one of Poland’s leading analysts specialising in Eastern affairs. The event brought together representatives of academia, policymakers and civil society, and its aim was to present EU enlargement to include Ukraine as a strategic interest of the entire European community.

On the same evening, a documentary report titled “Eddy’s War” was presented. The special guest of the screening was Eddy van Wessel, a photographer documenting four years of fighting on the Ukrainian front.

The culmination of the commemorations was the screening of the Polish-Ukrainian war drama “People”, directed by Maciej Ślesicki, which took place on 26 February at the Pantheon Theatre in Nicosia, with the participation of the lead actress, Oksana Cherkashyna. The meeting with the artist and the discussion preceding the screening were hosted by journalist Agnieszka Rakoczy.

Ukraine Week in Cyprus had a clear objective: to demonstrate that the West and the European Union are reliable partners in building security, prosperity and respect for human rights, and that Russian aggression is not merely a regional conflict, but a challenge to the entire European legal order and system of values.