The University of Leuven organized the Forum on Central and Eastern Europe "Art and war. A conversation on Ukraine and beyond" dedicated to the Ukrainian case of art-war interconnection and the importance of world-wide presence of Ukrainian culture during brutal russian aggression against our country.

The event was attended by students, media, civil society as well as by high-esteemed scholars and experts, including Bjorn Geldhof, an art critic and artistic director of the PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv, Kateryna Botanova, a cultural critic and writer, and Dr. Peter Vermeersch, a writer and professor of politics and Central and Eastern European Studies at KU Leuven.

The audience listened to the expert debate on metamorphoses of art in times of war and its meaning for those experiencing the warfare.

"Art is a universal language. Therefore, it is crucial to consolidate the global efforts and defeat the aggressors, who broke all conceivable norms of law and morale. No room for russian cultural products, while Ukrainian civilians are dying after expressing their identification! No relief of sanctions regime and boycott until the evil is punished and justice prevails!", - Chargé d'Affaires Nataliia Anoshyna.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the University of Leuven and Dr. Peter Vermeersch for the implementation of this event, as well as for all the uncompromised support to the Ukrainian people in our fight against the russian aggressors. Belgium is a great friend of Ukraine and such scientific events further the understanding of Ukrainian wartime realities in the Belgian society and beyond.