News
21.01.2025
Victor Pinchuk Foundation opened the project ‘YOUR COUNTRY FIRST – WIN WITH US’ on the occasion of WEF
Victor Pinchuk Foundation and the PinchukArtCentre in cooperation with the Office of the President of Ukraine, opened the project and exhibition ‘YOUR COUNTRY FIRST – WIN WITH US’ on the occasion of the World Economic Forum 2025 (WEF 2025) in Davos. The project, which combines an ongoing discussion program and an exhibition, is an immersive intellectual and visual experience, and a space for dialogue and action.
Among the speakers of the Project and Exhibition Opening were Victor Pinchuk, Founder of EastOne group, Founder of Victor Pinchuk Foundation; Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine; Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland; Gintautas Paluckas, Prime Minister of Lithuania; and Volodymyr Shliukharchuk, Senior Flight Inspector-Pilot of the Army Aviation Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Bjorn Geldhof, Artistic Director of the PinchukArtCentre, moderated the event.
Victor Pinchuk, Founder of EastOne group, Founder of Victor Pinchuk Foundation, opened the project and exhibition by saying: “We want to present to you our project “Your Country First – Win With Us”. Not everybody likes these words, your country first, because somebody thinks it's about isolationism. I disagree. I like this. Your country first. And this is absolutely not about isolationism because it's an obligation of any heads of state. For example, American president must put interests of his country first and Polish president must put interests of his country first. And Lithuanian Prime Minister must put interests of his country first. (…) Because if your national interest - first, it means that Ukraine must win, because America first means that on the top of priorities of the United States is national security. And it means that America cannot allow our crazy enemy to win in Ukraine and you cannot allow to win our crazy enemy in Ukraine. Somebody thinks we have supported Ukraine for too long, and this is your fight for independence. Yes, this is our fight for independence. But there is big but - you have to fight here for your national interest. This is our message of this exhibition 2025.”
Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine took the stage, stating: “We see the world in such turbulence. The Russian invasion has had a butterfly effect globally. Every strike Russia targets on Ukraine is a strike on the global economy. If we want to have a stable global economy, we must stop Russia; there's no other way.
“This exhibition challenges us to see Ukraine as part of a shared global narrative, and to consider how our futures are connected in ways we may not always realize.”
Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, spoke, saying: “It is in the interest of our country, but also in the interest of others that Russia is stopped.
(…) When this war started, we heard voices in the world which were saying that it would last perhaps three days. Soon it will be three years, and Ukraine is still defending itself. It is our international duty to make sure that Ukraine defends its sovereignty until victory.”
Gintautas Paluckas, Prime Minister of Lithuania, stated: “We count the days of this bloody conflict knowing that each passing day brings more suffering to the Ukrainian people; lives lost, loved ones taken, homes destroyed, and the constant fear of the next siren. All of this because of imperialist ambitions, the greed of Russian dictators and their belief that they stand above us all, above the law, democracy, and basic human decency.
(…)Ukraine is not only fighting for its country, its people and its national identity, it is fighting for all of us, for the entire Democratic free world.”
Volodymyr Shliukharchuk, Senior Flight Inspector-Pilot of the Army Aviation Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was welcomed to the stage, and said: “I have fought in many countries but have experienced nothing that compares to the technological warfare unfolding in Ukraine today. But technology alone won’t bring us to victory. The result of the war depends on the success of interconnected elements; it requires a collective action with each ally contributing significantly. And delays cost lives.
“I speak on behalf of Ukrainian soldiers and citizens who are not only defending our sovereignty, but also fighting for global freedom and security. We are united. Our strength is in unity, and our strength will deliver a better world to the future generation.”
Thanking the special guests, Bjorn Geldhof, Artistic Director of the PinchukArtCentre, encouraged guests to visit the exhibition and see firsthand the strength of Ukrainians and the importance of international support.
Photos are available here
Video is available here
