EU Commissioner: EU’s Cultural Aid Supports Ukraine’s Artists and Democracy

European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, emphasized that supporting Ukrainian culture and artists is not only an obligation of the EU, but also part of protecting democracy in the face of Russian aggression.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Ukrinform.

“The European Union will always support Ukraine... Because protecting heritage is also protecting democracy, because culture is always the first line of defense,” said Glenn Micallef, speaking at a press conference in Copenhagen.

He stated that Russia is deliberately attacking Ukrainian cultural heritage, destroying more than 1,600 objects and about 2,500 elements of cultural infrastructure.

“This is a war against our values, democracy, Ukrainian democracy, and European democracy,” noted the European Commissioner, stressing that Europe has a duty and responsibility to support Ukraine's cultural heritage.

Importantly, since July 2025, EU countries have announced 74 commitments to support Ukraine on the cultural front. The European Commission has allocated a total of €50 million, of which €20 million came from the Creative Europe program. This has enabled the mobility and support of more than 360 Ukrainian artists and has contributed to the development of cultural heritage professionals.

Micallef stressed that culture should become a systemic element of EU foreign policy and be integrated into geopolitical priorities, which simultaneously strengthens the EU's role in the world and supports Ukraine's European integration aspirations.

The European Commissioner also plans to present the European Cultural Compass to renew the EU's commitment to supporting culture in international relations.

“When I present the European Cultural Compass this week, I will propose renewing this commitment so that our cultural vision recognizes the role of culture, especially in our international relations,” said Glenn Micallef.

Earlier, the EU announced a €7 million package to support four cultural projects in Ukraine under the “Creative Europe” program. The projects – ZMINA Resilience, Culture Helps Solidarity, Cultural Horizons, and UAxEU – aim to help Ukrainian artists and cultural organizations during the war, provide access to culture for displaced people, preserve cultural heritage, and prepare the creative sector for postwar recovery. They are also aimed to promote international collaboration, educational initiatives, and the strengthening of Ukraine’s cultural institutions.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Denmark declared that it will allocate €1.3 million to support the restoration of Ukrainian cultural heritage destroyed as a result of Russian aggression.