As the world turns its war-weary eyes towards another conflict, we must not forget Ukraine. While news bulletins focus on the Middle East, the Ukraine war enters its fourth year and is still an everyday reality for millions. As Portugal celebrates its Dia de Liberdade this month, let us take a moment to reflect on how we can ensure our democratic values are maintained in Europe.
To understand Portugal’s active role in supporting Ukraine and how we can help, I spoke to Maryna Mykhailenko, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Portugal, via video link. Exuding the calm, serious gravitas required as her country faces an unrelenting existential threat, her neat bob and sharp suit feel like the diplomatic equivalent of Zelensky’s battle fatigues.
The diplomat
Maryna Mykhailenko has a highly distinguished career; next year, she will celebrate 30 years in the diplomatic service. But she never imagined a diplomatic life. Originally dreaming of becoming an economist or lawyer, she studied international economics at Taras Shevchenko National University before an internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs changed her path. “Our MFA needed new blood. So that’s why many young people had the opportunity to join this service.”
Subsequently, she worked in the international department of the presidential office, then, as an Italian speaker, held three positions in Italy. She served as the Director of the EU and NATO Department before her appointment to Portugal in February 2023.
Maryna Mykhailenko did not know Portugal before being appointed ambassador, but here she has found a warm welcome and a new home. “It was very interesting to discover the country’s history, the language and people. I feel their support every day and I have made many Portuguese friends. Portuguese people have a big heart.”
Ambassador Mykhailenko also has a strong connection to the Algarve; she has visited the region multiple times, and Lagos recently established a ‘twinning’ cooperation with the Ukrainian city of Pivdenne (Odesa region) to foster inter-regional support. During her visit in 2024, the Lagos municipality reiterated its readiness to cooperate in solidarity actions and the future reconstruction of Ukraine. She met with business managers to present opportunities for Portuguese participation in Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts, specifically highlighting the Nazovni platform to strengthen bilateral trade.
The ambassador has also actively worked to garner Portuguese support through high-level meetings at the Assembleia da República and by hosting public awareness campaigns, such as the exhibition ‘Living the War’, an immersive VR project showcasing the reality of the war in Ukraine.
Portugal’s unwavering support
While in Lagos, the ambassador visited a temporary accommodation centre in Espiche, a former primary school converted into a shelter by the municipality and its partners. She had an emotional meeting with displaced Ukrainian women, youth and children, who expressed their immense gratitude for the safe haven and support they have received in the municipality.
Portugal currently hosts between 85,000 and 90,000 Ukrainians, making them the fourth largest immigrant community in the country. About 60,000 of these refugees arrived after the full-scale invasion, and the Portuguese government recently extended their temporary protection status until the spring of 2027.
The Portuguese Parliament recently voted overwhelmingly in solidarity with Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of the war. The ambassador attended the parliamentary session, which included the Ukrainian children recently rescued after being forcibly displaced by Russian forces – a war crime explicitly condemned in the resolution’s text.
Furthermore, Portugal has stepped up to help Ukraine survive devastating winter attacks on its infrastructure by committing €1.2 million to the energy support fund. The ambassador regularly advocates for Ukraine’s foreign policy priorities, including Zelensky’s peace formula. She has just attended the inauguration of Portugal’s new president and confirmed that President Zelensky had already spoken with President Seguro and invited him to visit Ukraine.
“We’re very happy to have our President Zelensky as our leader during this very challenging time. I was in Ukraine in 2023, when the full-fledged war started in Kyiv, and for all Ukrainians, it was very important that the president did not leave the country. He inspired all of us to fight and resist.”
Navigating global distractions
The question now on everyone’s mind is how diplomats ensure that the war in the Middle East doesn’t divert global attention or pose a threat. The ambassador sees positives and negatives. On the positive side, Iran has directly supplied Russia with drones used to attack Ukrainian citizens, which will now stop. “Iran provided direct military support to the aggressive state of Russia for its war of aggression against Ukraine. And we’ll never forget the strikes of thousands of Shahed attack drones on our peaceful citizens.”
However, a deficit in air defence missiles and rising oil prices have put billions back into Moscow’s war chest. “Two weeks of war in the Middle East earned Moscow about 10 billion. So this is really dangerous. It gives Putin more confidence that he can continue this war.”
At the same time, the ambassador explains that Ukraine has grown more resilient. Their defence industry has grown unprecedentedly, now producing advanced drones and missiles, and the country is actively asking partners to invest directly in weapons manufacturing within Ukraine. Interestingly, 210 Ukrainian military experts are now actually deployed in the Middle East, sharing their unique experience in intercepting drone threats.
Maryna’s expertise in EU diplomacy is also vital to Ukraine’s key objective of becoming an EU member state. “Ukraine has been working towards European integration since 2014 and relies on the support of allies like Portugal as it pushes for full membership, which is one of the key guarantees of our shared long-term security.”
This month, the process moved a step closer as the European Commission opened the six clusters necessary for membership, but Hungary is still blocking the application. She argues that it is extremely important for the EU to replace unanimity with qualified majority voting in foreign policy and accession negotiations. I asked her if the recent accusations of corruption with the president’s inner circle would hinder this process. “On the contrary, it confirms that our anti-corruption structures work hard and bring results,” she responds.
ORANTA’s lifeline to Ukraine
The Algarve has been supporting the Ukrainian war effort by sourcing and converting ambulances for dispatch to the frontline. A fundraising event on 15 March, attended by the Ukrainian attaché, successfully raised €9,695 to supply adapted ambulances to the front line in Ukraine. The ambassador commented, “Since the invasion, 28 ambulances have already been delivered to the Donetsk and Sumy frontlines thanks to these grassroots efforts.”
Ambulances for Ukraine grew from an idea hatched by Roman Grymalyuk and Ninel Martyniuk, both Ukrainians living in the Algarve. They began looking for discarded ambulances or four-wheel drive vehicles to buy and refit. This project is sponsored by ORANTA, a non-profit organisation based in the Algarve and funded by events such as the recent charity lunch at Pestana and the Felizonda Ukraine Festival, an annual event in Lagos. It is supported by a tireless fundraising group, led by Angela Broad, who was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Embassy of Ukraine for her valuable contribution to the implementation of humanitarian initiatives.
The ambassador says, “These vehicles are lifelines in high-intensity areas, often providing first aid to 10–20 wounded people in a single day. It’s vital, because Russian forces try to destroy ambulances, knowing that it’s the vehicle for saving people’s lives.”
Saving the children
Portugal has also helped finance a project called Superhero Schools for sick children in Ukrainian hospitals. “This initiative was launched by our first lady, Olena Zelenska. It creates space for children in hospitals so they can study even in these difficult conditions. Last year, the Portuguese government financed two of these superhero schools, and this year, they confirmed their readiness to finance three more in different hospitals in three regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kropyvnytskyi,” the ambassador explains.
While in Portugal, Ukrainian children can participate in weekend Ukrainian schools. “This gives our children the chance to keep their identity, study the Ukrainian language, and Ukrainian history,” she says. “We have cooperated with the Portuguese government in order to have a space for this kind of activity.”
Furthermore, groups like the Portuguese National Guard and local communities have previously hosted holidays in Portugal for the children of killed or wounded military personnel. The Embassy is actively seeking local Algarve businesses or individuals to help organise, fund or host summer holiday camps for traumatised Ukrainian children. If you can offer any children a brief respite in the safety and sunshine of the Algarve, please get in touch.
I ask the ambassador how, with her husband still in Ukraine, she navigates the daily anxiety of thinking about her country, family and friends. “It is important for people to understand that this is the existential war for Ukraine. We have no choice but to fight and resist. So that’s why I’m in daily contact with my family, my husband and my friends’ families, providing them with different kinds of support. And we try to do our best here, and really hope that our people there can feel our support.” As she speaks, I feel the heavy weight of her responsibility.
A heartfelt appeal
We all know that the Algarve community has a big heart. Back in 2022, the community rallied to donate clothes, food, housing and support for Ukrainian refugees. Volunteers drove vans to Ukraine, loaded with medical supplies from the Algarve. So let’s not forget about Ukraine when they need us most.
While the war may feel far away, the philosophy of Tomorrow magazine is that small ripples can send out big waves. If you can help, this small action could have a direct, life-saving impact on the ground in Ukraine. I urge the Algarve community to dig deep and donate to push the total raised at the Spring Fundraiser over €10,000 so another life-saving ambulance can be deployed to the front lines.
Dontations: orantaportugal.org
Read more about ORANTA ambulances here: tomorrowalgarve.com/apr-2023-ambulances-for-ukraine
