Ukrainian NGOs in the EU have been a huge support for Ukrainian CSOs on the ground. They have been mobilizing broad public, politicians, decision-makers and media in support of Ukraine and in keeping Ukraine on the agenda of the respective governments and international organizations, they are not able to do it sustainably as all of them work pro bono.
Many EU-based Ukrainian CSOs are on the brink of dissolution in terms of efficiency because of exhaustion of their resources.
Here, at the European Economic and Social Committee I am pleading for inclusion of EU-based Ukrainian civil society in the European networks but also introducing eligibility for them in the European budget.
The victory of Ukraine’s democracy is in the interest of the EU, and Ukrainian CSOs in the EU serve as a bridge, messenger, inspiration and a reminder that democracy is not given. It is a necessary pillar of the support of Ukrainian CSOs in Ukraine that are in their turn a crucial constructive element of the sovereignty of Ukrainian nation and an expression of the will for justice, rule of law and human rights.
