The House of Europe program has announced an open grant competition, Culture Helps Solidarity, for cultural initiatives that help Ukrainians integrate into European communities and support the reintegration of veterans through culture.
The amount of support is up to €20,000 for a project with one partner and up to €30,000 for a project with two or more partners. Grant funds can cover fees, travel, production, marketing, rent, and operational activities.
Non-profit cultural organizations officially registered in Ukraine and participating countries with experience working with displaced persons or veterans are eligible to participate. In addition to the EU, the list of eligible jurisdictions for partners includes Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and a number of countries in the region, including Serbia, which expands opportunities for Ukrainian organizations to cooperate with partners outside the EU.
Applications will be accepted until March 31, 2026 (2:00 p.m. Kyiv time), and the results of the competition are expected to be announced by the end of May. A total of 15 projects are expected to receive funding, with a deadline for implementation of May 31, 2027. Applications must be submitted online in English. There is no application fee for the competition.
From February 20 to March 3, the Marine Corps & Air Force Trials 2026, a major veterans’ competition, took place in San Diego, California. This is an annual competition for servicemen and veterans of the US Marine Corps and Air Force, which serves as a qualifying stage for the American team for the Warrior Games.
The Ukrainian team was invited as an international team along with the British team to expand cooperation and exchange experience in the field of veteran sports and rehabilitation through sports.
The competitions included wheelchair basketball and rugby, sitting volleyball, archery and shooting, rowing on simulators, athletics, powerlifting, cycling, and swimming.
First and foremost, the team did not go for awards or achievements, but for the rehabilitation of participants through sport. However, the team managed to win quite a few prizes at the competition in California.
The Ukrainian team won first place in sitting volleyball and second place in wheelchair rugby. This is a first for our team.
In swimming, rowing on simulators, and cycling, Yaroslav Begas, Ivan Artyukh, and Oksana Rudyk took first place, while Artem Peredeev took first place in powerlifting. In archery, Oleksandr Zirka took first place in the individual competition. In the team competition, Oleksandr Zirka, Artem Perederyev, and Mariana Nitskevich took second place. Mariana Nitskevich also took second place in the individual competition.
In running, Oleksiy Dernov took first place in the 1500 meters. He also took third place in the 800, 400, 200, and 100 meters. In cycling, Vadym Goncharenko and Oleksiy Dernov finished second. In the shot put, Oleksandr Batalov and Vadym Honcharenko took first place. Oleksandr Batalov also came second in the discus throw.
The qualifying stage for the Ukrainian national team was the all-Ukrainian competition “GART” — the first national multi-sport competition for veterans who were wounded, injured, or fell ill during military service. The national team for the 2026 Marine Corps & Air Force Trials was selected from among the 400 participants in this tournament. It consists of 13 male veterans and 2 female veterans.
The formation, training, and participation of the Ukrainian national team is provided by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine in cooperation with the Come Back Alive Initiative Center. The general partner of the Ukrainian team is Ukrgasbank.
We would like to add that in April, the “Gart” wheelchair basketball competition for veterans will start in Lviv, preceded by a week-long camp for beginners in this sport. We invite veterans to participate in the tournament.
Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQCmcejNST02gPuvrMr-Cax2fAP6iLGD7WkADLjpXQNAP9Vg/viewform
COMPETITION, Marine Corps & Air Force Trials 2026, UKRGASBANK, veterans' team
The Ukrainian national team won 43 medals at the Marine Corps & Air Force Trials 2026 international sports competition in the United States, according to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
“The Ukrainian team, which included 13 male veterans and two female veterans, showed one of the best results of the competition, winning 43 medals. The defenders won 27 gold medals in running, swimming, powerlifting, discus throwing, shot put, cycling, and rowing, as well as a team gold medal in volleyball,” the ministry said in a statement.
In addition, the team won eight silver medals and two team silver medals in wheelchair rugby and archery, as well as six bronze medals in running, discus, shooting, and swimming.
The Marine Corps & Air Force Trials is one of the key international tournaments for military personnel and veterans after injuries, bringing together participants from different countries. Along with Ukraine, partner teams from Canada, Australia, and Great Britain were also invited to participate.
As reported, the Ukrainian national team won a record 76 medals at the United States Air Force Trials 2024 sports competition in Las Vegas (USA).
ATHLETE, COMPETITION, Marine Corps & Air Force Trials, MEDAL, ветеран
February 13, 2026, 11:00
Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA), Column Hall
(Kyiv, 26 Khreshchatyk St.)
Competition organizers:
The National Industry Partnership in Ukraine’s Light Industry “Fashion Globus Ukraine” and the Italian association VITAWORLD
On February 13, 2026, the Column Hall of the Kyiv City State Administration will host the ceremonial final of the 8th All-Ukrainian Professional Skills Competition “Fashion PRORYV for Freedom and Peace” https://fashionglobusukraine.com/konkurs/ua/fashion-proryv-2026 — a large-scale event that brings together fashion, education, culture, and international partnership between Ukraine and Italy. The final in Kyiv will take place in the format of a runway show featuring collections of sportswear and adaptive clothing, as well as an awards ceremony for the winners.
The Fashion PRORYV competition, launched in 2016, has become a unique platform for cooperation among educators, manufacturers, young designers, and sewing professionals. The project, initiated by Fashion Globus Ukraine, has created an effective model of interaction between education, business, and creativity.
“Over the years of the war with the Russian Federation, we have created a platform of peacebuilding cultural diplomacy, where Ukraine speaks to the world not in the language of pity, but in the language of dignity, creativity, and culture. We have created a precedent: when a competition in the fashion industry became a narrative about humanity, strength, resilience, and hope,” says the competition’s President, Golda Vynohradska.
Over the years, the competition has been held under the patronage of the city halls of Lviv, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih. In 2025, the project received support from the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and in 2026—from the City of Milan.
Fashion as cultural diplomacy
During wartime, Fashion PRORYV has taken on special significance, turning into a platform for cultural diplomacy and international dialogue. Each year, between 60 and 100 educational institutions from all regions of Ukraine take part in the competition. In 2025, the winners’ collections were presented in Paris, Oslo, Milan, and Luxembourg.
This year’s competition is dedicated to cooperation with Italy and the theme of sports. It features students from 52 Ukrainian fashion-industry educational institutions and 4 Italian universities (Venice, Salerno, Milan, Rome).
International finals in Kyiv and Milan
A ceremonial international presentation will take place on February 28, 2026, in Milan (Milan San Siro Hotel) as part of the Milano-Cortina 2026 events and Milan Fashion Week.
Such projects demonstrate Ukraine’s innovative potential, young people’s prospects, and the value of human capital.
Distinguished guests and professional jury
The event will be attended by:
• representatives of the diplomatic corps,
• Olympic champions,
• cultural and sports figures,
• leaders of the fashion industry of Ukraine and Italy.
The jury includes leading experts in fashion, education, and creative industries of Ukraine and Italy: Ivan Frolov, Katya Silchenko, Olena Holets, Taras Prytula, Kateryna Myroshnychenko, Halyna Yerko, Emilia Ametrano, Walter Togni, Elena Kalencani.
General partner of the competition: SOFTORG
Invitation
The organizers invite journalists and media representatives to share in the celebration of Fashion PRORYV—an event about courage, talent, and the power to create the future even in the most difficult times. Such projects demonstrate Ukraine’s breakthrough, prospects for youth, and above all the value of human capital!
Media accreditation
For accreditation and additional information:
+38 067 220 86 37
Goldafashion.ua@gmail.com
www.fashionglobusukraine.com
Interfax Ukraine is the official information partner of the event.
The Interfax-Ukraine press center hosted the first working meeting of the organizing committee of the nationwide competition, which aims to select talented young people to prepare a draft security agreement for Ukraine. This was announced by Oleksiy Shevchuk, spokesperson for the National Association of Advocates of Ukraine (NAAU), who also heads the Center for Economic Research at the Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University (KNEU).
According to the lawyer, the competition was initiated by the UNAA and KNEU, and a preliminary presentation of the initiative was held several months ago.
“If a decision is made to present the results to NATO, we consider this appropriate, as this format will ensure adequate publicity for the work. The possibility of presenting the results to the Office of the President of Ukraine is also being considered; I have had working communication on this issue with Ms. Iryna Mudra, who is awaiting the results of the competition. I do not rule out that she may join the final meeting of the competition commission. The relevant institutions have been informed, and expectations regarding the competition have been confirmed,” Shevchuk emphasized.
He stressed that the competition is intended to be annual, as the topics of security and international order are changing, and the main task of the current season is to identify talented young people in Ukraine who are capable of formulating the legal conditions of a future security agreement for the state.
“We have come to the conclusion that today even experienced diplomats cannot determine the list of conditions that should be spelled out for our country,” Shevchuk added.
The commission’s work was joined by, in particular, Ukrainian MP and former head of the Security Service of Ukraine Valentin Nalyvaichenko, head of the Diplomatic Academy Ihor Ostash, and international relations scholar Volodymyr Nakonechny.
The meeting participants agreed on the leadership of the competition commission: Lyudmila Kozhura, director of the KNEU Law Institute, was elected chair, with Ihor Ostash and Valentin Nalyvaichenko as deputies. The role of commission secretary was discussed separately, with Eva Hoffman and Volodymyr Nakonechny among the candidates proposed.
During the discussion, human rights activist and founder of the Project Sunflowers Foundation Eva Gofmanska noted that she would prefer to remain a member of the committee, supporting the initiative “in a spirit of respect and solidarity,” and to give the key role in substantive work to Ukrainian experts who know the language and legal system from the inside.
“Thank you for inviting me to join the competition committee. I greatly appreciate the trust and openness that this invitation demonstrates. At the same time, I consider it necessary to clearly define the nature of my participation: I do not speak Ukrainian and I realize that this limits my ability to fully work with the legal, cultural, and social context on which the competition is focused. That is why my participation in the committee is mainly representative and symbolic in nature, aimed at supporting the initiative. In my opinion, the key substantive role should belong to Ukrainian experts,” said Hofmanska.
The chair of the commission, Lyudmila Kozhura, reported that as of the day of the meeting, 26 contestants from nine law schools in Ukraine had registered for the competition. The largest number of participants—eight each—represent Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, and three more are registered from KNEU. In terms of level of education, third-year students predominate.
“I think it is important to note that the involvement of young lawyers in discussing issues of state security is evidence of their responsibility and professional readiness to work on the future of Ukraine. I congratulate the participants, colleagues, and partners and thank them for their presence and support of this initiative. Participation in the competition is already a sign of professional maturity, a responsible attitude, and confidence in the effectiveness of legal mechanisms. I am counting on meaningful, practical, and well-prepared proposals,” Kozhura said.
According to the rules, entries will be accepted until March 1, after which they will be published and checked for academic integrity, including plagiarism. It is expected that after evaluation by the commission, the winners will be determined by mid-March. The meeting also discussed the selection of entries, taking into account the risks of using artificial intelligence and borrowing. The organizers announced that the competition will award three prizes and a separate special cash prize from the organizer.
A separate part of the discussion concerned the future presentation of the best works. Shevchuk said that among the possible venues being considered are the NATO representative office, the Office of the President, and communication with the education sector. In addition, the possibility of supporting participants in further international programs was mentioned.
People’s Deputy and public figure Valentin Nalyvaichenko, for his part, expressed his readiness to facilitate public presentations of the works and support the winners.
I confirm my readiness to provide organizational and communication support for the initiative, both in terms of content and format of its further presentation. I consider it appropriate to provide the winners and participants with the opportunity to publicly present their work, in particular in parliament, in relevant committees, and at the Hennadiy Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We can organize an appropriate platform for the presentation of works and professional self-presentation of authors. I also confirm my readiness to provide recommendations and facilitate further support for the winners in their interaction with European and NATO partners,” he stressed, adding that he is ready to provide recommendations to European and NATO partners.
Igor Ostash, Head of the Hennadiy Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in turn, stressed the importance of choosing a very prestigious platform for publishing the results and further presentation.
In addition, the discussion also included proposals to prepare a special issue of a specialized publication with the winners’ works in several languages and to organize a series of presentations at Ukrainian universities and international venues.
Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, Secretary of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War under the Cabinet of Ministers, has joined the competition commission of the All-Ukrainian legal competition of student law-making initiatives “New Ukraine through the eyes of young lawyers,” according to the Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA).
According to the organizers, this gives contest participants the opportunity to receive feedback from a specialist who is directly involved in implementing the state’s strategic objectives in wartime.
Usov is a personnel officer and brigadier general who, during the full-scale war, is directly responsible for organizing and implementing prisoner exchanges. With his participation, thousands of Ukrainian defenders and civilians have been returned home. Previously, he held the position of deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
The competition for student law-making initiatives, “New Ukraine through the Eyes of Young Lawyers,” was established by the Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University with the assistance of the National Bar Association of Ukraine and aims to involve young lawyers in shaping a vision of international legal security guarantees for Ukraine after the end of the war.
As part of the competition, participants prepare legal papers aimed at developing practical law-making initiatives, particularly in the areas of public administration, security, digitalization, human rights protection, and the functioning of the rule of law. The competition involves the preparation of a legal student paper on the creation of a draft international legal agreement on security for Ukraine.
The competition committee is headed by Eva Hofmanska, an international expert on human rights and mechanisms for protecting war victims, founder of initiatives to document war crimes and build mechanisms to help victims. The deputy chair (secretary) is Dmytro Lukyanenko, professor and rector of the Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University (KNEU).
In addition to Usov, the commission also included Lyudmila Kozhura, director of the KNEU Law Institute, and her deputy, Svetlana Zaderayko, head of the secretariat of the National Association of Advocates of Ukraine (NAAA), Ihor Andriyev, chair of the NAAA Youth Committee, Yuriy Radzievsky, chair of the NAAA Information Committee, and Oleksiy Shevchuk, chair of the Center for Legal Information, Professional Development, and Expert Research
of the KNEU Law Institute, NAAU Speaker Oleksiy Shevchuk, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, former Head of the SBU Valentin Nalyvaichenko, Head of the Diplomatic Academy of the MFA Ihor Ostash, Head of the Kyiv Branch of the Notary Chamber of Ukraine (NPU), Chair of the NPU Commission on Informatization, Digital Transformation, and Cybercrime Prevention Natalia Kazayeva.
