1st EUkraine Progressive Summit: “Towards EU Membership and Just Recovery of Ukraine”

Why this matters

For the first time, a large delegation of the European social-democratic family (Party of European Socialists, the S&D Group in the European Parliament, PES in CoR, the Swedish Olof Palme Center, and other partners) arrived in Ukraine. Social democrats are one of the few influential political forces at EU level that have not yet had an official political partner in Ukraine; meanwhile, most leading Ukrainian parties have cooperated primarily with the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) or the Alliance of Liberals. This created a gap in cooperation and limited the involvement of the progressive political family in supporting Ukraine. A reliable partner in establishing this cooperation was the Summit’s Ukrainian co-organiser — the Social Democratic Platform of Ukraine.

Who participated

From the European side: Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament; Thijs Reuten, Member of the European Parliament and S&D spokesperson on Ukraine; Jean Germain, Member of the European Parliament (France), S&D Group; representatives of the Swedish, Finnish, and Irish parliaments, the EU Committee of the Regions, and others.

From the Ukrainian side: Oleksandr Kornienko, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada; Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration; Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President; Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights; MPs Dmytro Razumkov, Halyna Vasylchenko, Pavlo Frolov; representatives of the High Qualification Commission of Judges and local authorities, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine, industry associations; experts on domestic policy, EU integration, education, and labour relations.

Key discussions

The Summit opened with welcoming remarks by the co-organisers — Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and Bohdan Ferens, founder of the Social Democratic Platform of Ukraine.

Throughout the Summit, participants discussed key aspects of Ukraine’s European integration and democratic transformation. The first panel, featuring First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Kornienko, focused on Ukraine’s path to EU membership, emphasising the need for fair, effective, and socially oriented reforms that ensure inclusion and well-being for all citizens. 

The second panel explored strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and governmental accountability.

On the following day, participants discussed labour rights, the future of trade unions, and the role of social dialogue in Ukraine’s recovery. Representatives of the EU Committee of the Regions highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation between Ukrainian municipalities and EU regional authorities — through twinning, exchanges, and support for local initiatives that accelerate reconstruction.

The final open-mic panel was devoted to shaping a progressive agenda for post-war recovery and building a just, democratic Ukraine within the European context.

Veteran support

A dedicated panel addressed the experiences of veterans who lost their sight or limbs. Among the speakers: Maksym Bondarenko (defender of Luhansk region), Artem Bondariev (defender of Kharkiv region), and Andrii Siromakha (veteran, civic activist). They discussed rehabilitation, accessible infrastructure, and employment.

Yevheniia Shelest, representing the NGO “Progressive&Strong” (the largest educators’ community), presented the “Light Inside” initiative — a retreat camp for blind veterans and their families — and ten key demands to state authorities regarding support and integration.

Summit Declaration

The Summit concluded with the adoption of a Joint Declaration outlining shared principles of cooperation between Ukrainian and European progressive forces. It reaffirms a commitment to a just, socially oriented recovery and to supporting Ukraine’s full EU membership, foresees strengthening social dialogue and partnerships with trade unions, developing institutional ties, and ensuring the integration of gender equality, inclusion, and protection of vulnerable groups.

The Kyiv Summit marked a turning point for the progressive movement in Ukraine and the beginning of systematic cooperation with European social democrats. Partners agreed to institutionalise their interaction, launch joint programmes for democratisation, support for trade unions, and greater involvement of youth and civil society in the recovery process.