On May 13, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine met with members of the European Union Advisory Mission who work on preventing illicit activities related to cultural heritage.
The discussion focused on finding effective ways to protect cultural heritage in the context of russia’s ongoing armed aggression. The meeting was an important step toward building closer cooperation and improving the exchange of information between Ukraine and the European Union in this area.
Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications for European Integration Andrii Nadzhos emphasized the importance of integrating cultural policy into Ukraine’s national security system.
He noted that russia’s war against Ukraine has a clear cultural dimension in addition to its military aspects, which calls for a coordinated response from both Ukraine and its international partners. This issue was also highlighted during the first international conference on Ukrainian culture, “Cooperation for Resilience”, held on February 1 in Uzhhorod.
During the meeting, special attention was given to strengthening sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in the looting and illicit trafficking of Ukrainian cultural property from temporarily occupied territories. The Ministry called on EU partners to consider cultural heritage protection when shaping future sanctions packages.
It was also noted that Ukraine is working closely with the Netherlands and Germany to recover cultural artifacts that were illegally exported.
Both sides agreed that creating a comprehensive national register of museum collections would greatly support the identification of stolen items and help strengthen international cooperation in this area.
Representatives of the European Union reaffirmed their strong support for Ukraine’s efforts and stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach — combining sanctions with international legal cooperation — to address crimes against cultural heritage. They also confirmed their readiness to continue supporting Ukraine through sharing expertise and best practices for documenting and recovering cultural losses.
