From 14 to 17 October 2024, the ICUV team visited Brussels to participate in a number of important meetings and discussions aimed at strengthening international support for Ukraine. The trip was joined by Olena Halushka, Hanna Hopko, Victoria Voytsitska and Andrii Mikheiev.

The main advocacy goals were:

• Continued support for Ukraine
• Sanctions and confiscation of Russian assets – MakeRussiaPay campaign
• European integration
• Genocidal nature of the Russian aggression
• Bankrupt Russia’s War Machine campaign

During the meetings in Brussels, ICUV, together with partners New Europe Center and the Anticorruption Action Center (AntAc), discussed key issues of support for Ukraine regarding security situations in Ukraine, the genocidal nature of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as the reforms priority as part of the European integration of Ukraine. The delegation also advocated for continued support for Ukraine, need to strengthen the sanctions against Russia, full confiscation of the Russian frozen assets with the $50 billion loan secured by future profits on Russian assets, as well as the potential idea of Ukraine’s Restitution and Reconstruction Bank. The delegation also presented the idea developed by ICUV of the war tax on russian LNG.

During the speech on the event organized by the NGO “Friends of Europe”, Andrii Mikheiev stressed that no loan may substitute the full confiscation which shall anyway be on board.

The G7 loan is a great financial assistance, which shifts the burden of financing from taxpayers to the profits from Russian immobilized assets. HOwever, it does not make Russia responsible as aggressor, and it does not make Russia pay

Andrii Mikheiev,  international lawyer

During the advocacy visit to Brussels, the delegation engaged in high-level discussions with key stakeholders across various EU institutions. The delegation held constructive meetings with representatives from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Parliament, the European Commission, and several Directorates-General, including DG NEAR, DG ENER, DG GROW, and DG JUST.

During the trip, it was an honour to visit NATO Headquarters and take part in discussions with Scott Bray, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security, and Marie-Doha Besancenot, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy.

Marie-Doha Besancenot personally thanked Hanna for her visit to NATO Headquarters.

Thank you Hanna for your visit at NATO HQ focusing on how we can best support Ukrainian civil society right now.

Marie-Doha Besancenot, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy.

We held 33 meetings with key officials and experts from the EU and NATO. The most important meetings were:

• Briefing with MEPs in the European Parliament with Michael Gahler, Nathalie Loiseau, Michał Kobosko, Pekka Toveri, Nicolás Pascual De La Parte, Helmut Brandstatter, Rasa Juknevičienė, Andrzej Halicki.
• Dinner with Andrius Kubilius, candidate for the EU Defence Commissioner
• Meetings with at least 3 senior officials form the European Commission, including Peter Wagner, Alexander Adam, Michael Karnitschnig
• Meetings with Ms Māra Šteinberga, Foreign Policy Advisor to the European Council

The strategic value of Ukraine is its people. We need to finish the war with Ukraine’s victory faster– to save more lives and have more changemakers after the war to continue reforming the country.

Hanna Hopko, co-founder of the International center for Ukrainian victory (ICUV), Chairwoman of the National Interests Advocacy Network (ANTS)

Boris Ruge, NATO’s Acting Deputy Secretary General, expressed particular support for Ukraine during the meeting in Brussels.

Very good to welcome friends from Ukraine in Brussels today. The future of Ukraine is in NATO and that is first & foremost because of the strength of democracy & civil society. We will continue to support Ukraine on its irreversible path to NATO membership.

Boris Ruge, NATO’s Acting Deputy Secretary General

Andrii Mikheiev also spoke at the European Endowment for Democracy briefing on the rule of law reform and priorities ahead. He provided the overall analysis of the state of human rights compliance in Ukraine prior to future EU accession, which was also included to the NGOs’ “shadow report”. Andrii analysed Ukraine’s efforts to balance between the necessary limitations of human rights due to the martial law and undertaking to respect the obligations on human rights compliance.