On 21-23 June, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Paul Grod visited the capital of Great Britain, where he participated in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC23), garnered the support of international partners, and, as is customary, met with the Ukrainian community.
The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC23), which brought together 1,000 delegates from over 60 countries, became a powerful platform for discussing not only the urgent issues of reconstruction and Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership.
In support of the UWC global advocacy campaign #UkraineInNato, Paul Grod held meetings with international partners, politicians, and diplomats.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Honourable Minister James Cleverly, with whom I had the opportunity to discuss Ukraine’s membership in NATO. His unwavering support and friendship for Ukraine are invaluable,” stated UWC President Paul Grod after meeting with Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom James Cleverly.
The UWC President had an informative discussion with Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, a German politician and Member of the European Parliament, on Ukraine’s path to NATO membership, given its significance for regional security and stability.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Viola von Cramon-Taubadel for her significant role in the adoption by the European Parliament of the resolution on NATO. Her dedicated efforts have had a tangible impact on gaining strong support for Ukraine among the overwhelming majority of MEPs,” Grod said.
The UWC leader discussed support for Ukraine’s economic development and the Ukrainian diaspora’s role in this process during a productive meeting with Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
During the URC conference, an important topic of discussion was the UWC’s project Energize Ukraine, aimed at restoring Ukraine’s energy sector and rebuilding the energy infrastructure destroyed by Russian attacks. Paul Grod discussed the initiative with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine, German Galushchenko.
The parties discussed the urgent challenges and problems the Ukrainian energy sector faces daily. They also outlined a vector for further cooperation, including signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between the UWC and the Ministry of Energy.
“We must prepare for this winter because we do not know what it will look like. That is why UWC’s Energize Ukraine is already collecting equipment to restore the energy sector in Ukraine,” commented Paul Grod in an interview with the Ukrainian television channel Suspilne.
In conclusion of the short but highly informative visit, the UWC President met with the Ukrainian community in the United Kingdom, Ukrainians, and friends of Ukraine in London.
Paul Grod expressed the sincere gratitude of the global Ukrainian community for the powerful advocacy, media, and community efforts carried out by the Ukrainian Association of Great Britain (AUGB) in support of Ukraine and its people. He presented Anna Marta Dezyk (Hanya Dezyk), AUGB Deputy Chair for services to Ukrainian Refugees, with an honorary award – a symbolic candle holder.
