The first Public Diplomacy Academy for veterans concluded in Kyiv. The project’s finalists are currently in Gdańsk, where they are participating in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026).
The training program for male and female veterans concluded symbolically—the final debates in English and lectures by professional diplomats took place in one of Kyiv’s bomb shelters. Twenty-five participants received diplomas upon completion of the program.
Intensive Training and the Cultural Front
The participants have completed a course covering security policy, economic development, European integration, and strategic communications. In addition, each graduate created a video profile sharing their story and key messages for foreign leaders. The veterans are already integrating these insights into international cooperation directly on the ground at URC 2026.
“The Academy’s speakers demonstrated that Ukraine has a clear vision of our role in the state. We’ve gone far beyond basic knowledge,” the graduates shared.
СHowever, the graduation ceremony broke away from standard bureaucratic procedures: the veterans underwent “express interviews” to test their composure and knowledge of English, organized a large-scale exchange of specialized literature, and finally received deep-blue ties and scarves as a symbol of their membership in the new veteran-diplomatic community.
Networking and a “Soft Power” Tool
The project helps transform unique combat experience into a powerful “soft power” tool on the global stage. Among the graduates are many well-known media influencers and leaders in the civil society sector. During informal discussions with Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs Oleg Shymansky and foreign diplomats, the graduates have already outlined their first joint projects.
The “Public Diplomacy Academy for Veterans” project is being implemented by IREX in Ukraine as part of the Veterans Reintegration Program, in cooperation with America House Kyiv and with the support of the U.S. Department of State. Other partners in the initiative include the International Renaissance Foundation, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA).
Source: OBOZ
