On the initiative of the Association "Parasolka", a large public discussion entitled "From great solidarity to great indifference – what next after three years of war in Ukraine?" was held in Olten (Switzerland), bringing together more than 150 participants at the Schützi cultural center.

Along with Benjamin Schenk, professor of Eastern European history and head of the Ukrainian Research in Switzerland (URIS), the speakers at the event were Nataliya Kabatsiy, director of the Charitable Organization "Charity Fund "Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya", and Lesya Levko, project coordinator of the Committee. The discussion was moderated by Marianne Kneubühler, member of the Presidium of the Association "Parasolka", and Fabian Hägler, editor-in-chief of the Aargauer Zeitung.

Professor Benjamin Schenk, who has long studied the complex history of relations between Ukraine and Russia, presented a substantive report to the audience, illustrating it with a presentation that focused, in particular, on the multitude of bilateral agreements and arrangements that the russian side either failed to implement or violated. In addition, the researcher’s report convincingly demonstrated the differences in the post-Soviet political paths of the two states, primarily in terms of the formation of the political elite, the introduction of democratic instruments of governance, etc. Mr. Schenk based his assessment of Ukrainian society on this, concluding that it is capable of resisting negative trends in the state and defending its interests and native land.

In turn, Lesya Levko spoke about the mobilization of Ukrainian society since 2014, and especially since the start of the full-scale russian invasion on February 24, 2022. She discussed numerous volunteer initiatives, millions of hryvnias raised to support the military, affected civilians, critical infrastructure, and more.

"Nowadays, the entire civil society is a volunteer community. We open fundraisers, share other people’s fundraisers, and donate collectively or individually. Many Ukrainian services have already adapted to this. Probably every Ukrainian is familiar with the procedures of "opening a jar" and "breaking a jar", but these phrases are unlikely to mean anything to residents of other countries. This is our reality. Ukrainians organize powerful targeted aid funds, whose competence is recognized both at the state level and by the international community. And we perceive the news differently because, along with reports that often seem biased, we know about the situation on the front lines and in frontline settlements from relatives, friends, displaced persons who now live in our shelters, colleagues from different regions, and so on", noted Lesya Levko.

"How did you survive this winter? Yes, in peacetime this is a trivial question, but in the context of war it takes on a completely different meaning", Fabian Hägler addressed the guests from Ukraine.

"We anticipated a more challenging winter and endured the third winter of the war with resilience. This is a story about experience. I recall that we began preparing for the winter of 2023 in May 2022. Together with our partners, we purchased generators and heaters and addressed requests from all regions of Ukraine. Our organization adapts to the conditions of war, and along with medical assistance, we cover education, energy, infrastructure, and other areas with humanitarian projects. War tempers and teaches us to find positive emotions in news about a surviving ambulance, which the Committee donated to medics or the military, or about the energy autonomy of a hospital that was able to continue its work during a blackout", said Nataliya Kabatsiy.

Of course, one of the key topics of public discussion was the ceasefire agreement and speculation, spread by russian propaganda and often picked up by Western audiences, about the Ukrainian side’s alleged unwillingness to agree to the "peace proposals" of various negotiators and representatives of the russian side. 

"No one has yet heard any clear proposals for PEACE. So far, all negotiations have demonstrated russia’s appetite for Ukrainian territories. First, they declared Crimea russian, then the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, and now two more Ukrainian regions have appeared in the russian constitution. Is there any logic, justice, or common sense in this? No. And the residents of russian-occupied settlements are seeking refuge around the world, fleeing from the "russian peace" and its consequences. At the same time, we see that the front line is moving and moving westward. We are holding back this invasion, losing our people, our children, and therefore our future. The war has left us no choice, but there is hardly another nation in the world that desires a peaceful life as much as Ukrainians do! The history of russian-Ukrainian relations is a history of compromises that Ukraine has made in defending itself against russia’s imperial attacks. We, Ukrainians, can no longer afford this. We must seriously answer the question: what works in the world, or at least in Europe: the power of law or the law of power? In 2014, we were unable to clearly and unequivocally demonstrate the power of law, but now is the time to do so! Mutual support and joint resistance to aggression are our main weapons", Lesya Levko concluded. 

After the main part of the event, the audience had the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers. They asked about the moral state of Ukrainians, the exhaustion of civil society, and visions for tomorrow, but most of the comments were filled with words of support for Ukraine and solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The discussion in Olten once again emphasized the importance of public opinion, which often differs from the official position of the political establishment. Such open events, where people can hear information firsthand rather than secondhand accounts of others’ views, help to bring people together, regardless of where they live.