Preserving Ukrainian identity abroad is essential to Ukraine’s recovery and security, says UWC President at URC in Rome

ROME – Maintaining a strong sense of Ukrainian identity among those living abroad is crucial not only for their eventual return, but also for Ukraine’s long-term recovery and national security, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Paul Grod during a panel titled “Engaging, Return, and Reintegration of Ukrainians” at the International Ukraine Recovery Conference currently taking place in Rome.

The conference – a major international platform –  has convened representatives of governments, international organizations, financial institutions, businesses, local authorities, and civil society.

“It’s critical for all the countries that want to help Ukraine rebuild to ensure that those Ukrainians who fled because of the war or came earlier integrate but do not assimilate. It’s critical that we keep them Ukrainian,” Grod said.

He underscored that preserving Ukrainian identity starts with strong institutions — communities, churches, schools, cultural centres, and organizations that bring Ukrainians together abroad and keep them connected to their homeland.

“We have to be focused on building those institutions. It’s really up to the host countries to ensure that they stay Ukrainian. And the final point I wanted to make here is that we need to focus on building a Ukrainian nation-state,” Grod said.

Identity, he stressed, must be at the core of the rebuilding process. 

“If we don’t maintain the identity of Ukrainians outside Ukraine and ensure that part of the rebuild includes a discussion about Ukraine’s identity as Ukrainians, that cultural identity could continue to be exploited by Russia to try to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty,” the UWC President concluded.

The UWC delegation is representing the global Ukrainian community at key meetings during the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

The UWC delegation’s participation and corresponding meetings will continue with a “People’s March” in Rome, followed by the Forum of Ukrainians in Italy on July 12, which will gather Ukrainian organizations from dozens of Italian cities for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.