Kyiv Summit Focuses on Resilience

Ukraine hosted the Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv on Independence Day, bringing together representatives from 14 countries to discuss ways of building resilience amid global uncertainty. The annual event was initiated by Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska in 2021 and this year was organized around the theme “World 2026: Finding Stability in Times of Uncertainty.”

Zelenska said resilience involved acting despite pain and fear, while also highlighting its economic importance. Citing global estimates, she said depression and anxiety cost the world economy about $1 trillion annually and that mental health problems can account for up to 4% of gross domestic product in OECD countries.

First ladies and gentlemen from Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia, Finland, Slovenia and Romania attended in person, while representatives from Germany, Belize, Israel, the Czech Republic, Türkiye, Guatemala and Georgia participated online. Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Alexander Stubb of Finland, Alar Karis of Estonia and Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania also addressed the summit.

The program included discussions on mental health, social resilience and cooperation between institutions and communities. Organizers presented a “Global Vocabulary of Resilience,” documenting practices from 38 countries, and introduced “Sofiynist,” a Ukrainian concept combining the will to live, the strength to fight and the wisdom to learn. The summit was co-organized by Ukrainian government agencies, the World Health Organization and other international partners.