News
2026
YES Special gathering Closing remarks: Metropolitan Epiphaniy and Aleksander Kwaśniewski on four years of full-scale invasion and Ukraine's path to peace
26.02.2026
On February 24, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Yalta European Strategy held a special YES gathering on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
During the closing panel Metropolitan Epiphaniy, Head, Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of the Republic of Poland (1995-2005), Chairman, YES Board, reflected on fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine's path to peace.
Aleksander Kwaśniewski thanked everyone for attending the Special Gathering on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He carried a rallying message:
“The full-scale invasion has been going on for four years, yet the conflict will remain for generations due to Putin’s concept of Great Russia, which cannot exist without the entirety of Ukraine.”
“I remember when President Trump said he would solve the problem in one day, one week, one month etc. We are now one year in and hopefully we are close to having the first breakthrough in this war which is a cease fire. A ceasefire is not peace, but it is the beginning. It brings hope.”
“We have to look seriously at what the security guarantees are so they work. We remember very well the Budapest Memorandum which was signed by all powerful nations in the world, and it didn’t work. It is important to ask what guarantees we can have to support Ukraine, the people, the army. Our goal must be peace. We have a lot of question marks, and we will see how this unfolds over the weeks and months”
He concluded with two points: “Firstly, we should open the door for Ukraine to become a full member of the European Union. To unravel mythologies and get rid of the barriers that are in the way as possible. Ukrainians are fighting for our freedom, they deserve this.
“Secondly, is the domestic democratic work that is needed in Ukraine. It will not be easy to go back to normal after martial law, but you must work hard at democracy; at free press, at shared values. You can count on us, on our experience and advice but it is your homework.”
“This is something we can do together, this is something we can work together. Next year when we are here together on 24th February it will be much more optimistic, and hopeful. We will speak about a new era of sovereign independent Ukraine; as a member of our democratic family. Please let’s do everything together to achieve that”, he concluded.Metropolitan Epiphaniy, Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, believes that the religious and ideological dimension is an important component of the war:
“As we can see, this war has many different factors. One of them is the religious and spiritual dimension, which the aggressor is using against us, against the Ukrainian people, for its own purposes. We understand and see this clearly, because even in the provisions of the peace agreement, specifically in clause 13, it is stated that the aggressor seeks to preserve the presence of its Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. And the question arises: why do they need to maintain the presence of their church here? This clearly shows how important it is for them. For more than 30 years, the ideology of the ‘Russian world’ was propagated here, and we can now see the negative consequences it has borne,” Metropolitan Epiphaniy emphasized.
He is convinced that Ukraine’s spiritual security can be ensured through the unification of all Orthodox believers within a single Local Church.
“That is why we are also holding this spiritual and religious front, which concerns the spiritual security of our Ukrainian state. We want all Orthodox Christians to be united in one Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” Metropolitan Epiphaniy noted.
He also believes that strength of spirit and unity are capable of thwarting even the most aggressive plans of the enemy, and that only by preserving solidarity can Ukraine confidently move toward complete victory.
“The enemy tried to seize us within a matter of days, but we are fighting, and, as we can see, the strength of spirit prevails. Therefore, we must continue, in unity, to forge this path toward a great and complete Ukrainian victory,” Metropolitan Epiphaniy emphasised.
“We are strong when we are united. Truth is on our side, and truth always prevails. We must have firm and unwavering faith in this, and faith will always lead us forward,” he concluded.The YES Special Gathering on February 24 is a platform for an honest conversation about the price of freedom, the limits of endurance, and shared responsibility for the future of Europe. Four years on from the full-scale invasion, Ukraine remains on the front lines not only of its independence, but also of the security of the entire democratic world.
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