‘Standing With Ukraine’ event and art exhibition honours four years of Ukrainian resilience

Kuala Lumpur, 24 February 2026 – A powerful display of global solidarity marked the 'Standing with Ukraine: Four Years of Resilience' event held here today. The event, organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia alongside the Embassies of Ukraine, Austria, Germany, and Poland in Malaysia, marked four years of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.

In addition to the event, an exhibition will be presented at GMBB from 27 February to 27 March 2026, featuring the ‘Puzzle of Unity’, an interactive map of Ukraine’s regions, culture, and history presented by the EU, ‘Design in Wartime’, an Austrian-Ukrainian cultural project presented by the Embassy of Austria, an exhibition on the Russian shadow fleet presented by the Embassy of Germany, as well as ‘The Eyes of War’, a multi-documentary project presented by the Embassy of Poland. Members of the public are invited to visit the exhibition located at Level 3 of GMBB.

Today’s gathering reaffirmed, with the support of those present, our steadfast and long-term commitment to Ukraine through continued political, military, financial, and humanitarian assistance. Remarks from EU and EU Member States’ representatives, the British High Commissioner to Malaysia, and the Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia further solidified a unified global support for Ukraine.

H.E. Dr. Hennadii Nadolenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Malaysia, expressed “heartfelt gratitude to all our friends and partners for your unwavering solidarity with Ukraine. For twelve years, my country has been living under Russian aggression, and for four years we have endured a full-scale war that has taken thousands of lives and shattered millions of destinies. In these darkest moments, your support is not just political — it is deeply human. It gives strength to our soldiers, hope to our civilians, and faith in justice for our nation. We ask you to remain united with Ukraine until a just and lasting peace, grounded in international law, is achieved. I also warmly invite you to visit the exhibition opening this Friday, where you will see not only the scale of destruction, but the resilience, dignity, and courage of the Ukrainian people.”

H.E. Krzysztof Dobrowolski, Ambassador of Poland to Malaysia, underlined that “Ukraine’s security and recovery is a high priority for Poland. We consider Ukraine’s renewal as fundamental for European — and global — security, stability, and prosperity. We firmly believe that Ukraine will prevail — with the sustained commitment of its allies and partners. From the first day of the invasion, Polish solidarity has remained steadfast and focused on Ukraine’s victory, the restoration of its territorial integrity, and the protection of human life. It is our greatest hope that next year such grave commemoration will not be necessary. That Putin will finally stop his war, and Ukraine will enjoy peace on its own terms.”

H.E. Silke Riecken-Daerr, Ambassador of Germany to Malaysia, said that “Our unwavering support for Ukraine — for freedom, peace, and security in Europe — is an expression of our responsibility for a reliable international order.”

H.E. Gerhard Eisl, Ambassador of Austria to Malaysia, presented the joint Austrian-Ukrainian project ‘Design in Wartime: Challenges in Modern Ukraine’, noting that it underlines Austria’s “full solidarity” and is the “result of the outstanding work of students from the Vienna University of Technology and the Lviv Polytechnic National University. It shows creativity, even in the terrible times of war.”

H.E. Rafael Daerr, Ambassador of the European Union to Malaysia underlined that “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine concerns us all. First, it challenges the principles we have agreed to in the UN Charter and that serve to protect all states, large and small: sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. If these principles are weakened anywhere, they are weakened everywhere. Secondly, its impact is immediate and concrete – also here in Asia. In an interconnected world, no country is insulated from the disruptions caused by Russia’s war.”

The event also saw interventions by the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Malaysia, H.E. Ajay Sharma and Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia, H.E. Noriyuki Shikata.

High Commissioner Sharma highlighted that "Ukraine is about to enter its fifth year of resisting Russia’s full-scale illegal invasion. We must not allow the passage of time to dull the scale of Russia’s ongoing unprovoked aggression. We're standing up for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the people of Ukraine."

Ambassador Shikata stated that “Japan firmly stands with Ukraine to bring an early end to Russia's aggression and is committed to supporting Ukraine in cooperation with like-minded countries.”

The event also featured a screening of the documentary ‘Deported and Displaced by Russia: Ukraine’s Disabled Children’, highlighting the grave humanitarian consequences of Russia’s aggression, particularly for the most vulnerable members of Ukrainian society.
Following the screening, participants expressed solidarity and shared reflections. A press opportunity was held at the conclusion of the programme.

About the European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.
The Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia works together with Malaysian authorities, businesses, education institutions, cultural institutions and civil society to promote closer ties and cooperation. EU in Malaysia also supports and collaborates with Malaysian and regional non-governmental organisations working towards achieving Malaysia’s development goals and UN SDGs.