On July 1, an open press briefing was held at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, initiated by the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, to present the outcomes of the workshop series Crimea and Youth: Visions of Resilience, Values, and Cohesion. The workshops were organized by the Mission with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine, which is funded by the governments of Canada, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, along with a number of civil society organizations.

Participants in the briefing included: Dmytro Teperik, international expert on resilience, security, and strategic communications; Yuliia Tyshchenko, Chair of the Board of the Ukrainian Centre for Independent Political Research and co-founder of the National Platform for Resilience and Cohesion; and Martin-Oleksandr Kyslyi, historian, PhD in History, lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and head of the Crimean Studies research center.

The discussion was moderated by Yevhen Bondarenko, Head of the Information Department of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

In his opening remarks, the moderator of the press conference, Yevhen Bondarenko, Head of the Information Department of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, outlined the key parameters of the workshops — geography, age composition, and number of participants. He also emphasized the importance of engaging young people from various regions of Ukraine, including internally displaced persons from Crimea and other temporarily occupied territories, in discussions on national unity and the future in the post-de-occupation period.

International expert on resilience, security, and strategic communications Dmytro Teperik noted that the development of the methodology and format for the youth workshops was guided by a core objective: to emphasize the interconnection between the past, present, and future, and to draw meaningful parallels between them.

“Based on the outcomes of our workshops, we can already see that Ukrainian youth are genuinely interested in developing their own potential in shaping the future of occupied Crimea. This is extremely important and should be actively supported — not only to strengthen civic consciousness, but also to reinforce our reintegration policies and national unity. I also observe a growing international interest in advancing a policy of cognitive de-occupation in partnership with the EU,” said Dmytro Teperik.

Yuliia Tyshchenko, Chair of the Board of the Ukrainian Centre for Independent Political Research and co-founder of the National Platform for Resilience and Cohesion, emphasized that one of the key objectives in working with Ukrainian youth is the need to involve them in issues related to the temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea. She noted that research shows the situation in occupied Crimea is not a priority topic for many young Ukrainians. A decade of occupation has led to a lack of personal experience and interaction between Ukrainian youth and Crimea or its residents due to the consequences of Russian control over the peninsula. It is important to renew this connection and engage Ukrainian youth in shaping shared visions of the future and the situation in Crimea. We discussed topics of nationwide unity, associated risks, how young people understand the consequences of occupation, and the commonalities and differences between youth in free territories and those in temporarily occupied areas.

“We see that young people are actively interested in these issues and are clearly aware of the differences between themselves and their peers living in the temporarily occupied territories. These differences are largely the result of Russia’s imposition of its own values and narratives on local youth. At the same time, there is no negativity or hostility — there is a clear understanding that these are our people, our community, and a desire to connect. However, this issue requires a systemic and reinforced approach. The project should be scaled up to counter the effects of information influence and foster unity. It is also crucial to ensure that the topics of cognitive de-occupation and reintegration do not feel foreign — that young people understand their voice matters and that it is being heard,” noted Yuliia Tyshchenko.

Historian, PhD in History, lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and head of the Crimean Studies research center, Martyn-Oleksandr Kyslyi, emphasized that one of the key outcomes of the workshops was the confirmation of a working hypothesis: despite 11 years of the temporary occupation of Crimea, Ukrainian youth continue to show genuine interest in the peninsula’s history, culture, and identity. He stressed that this interest forms the foundation for motivating active young people to engage in future processes of reintegration and the restoration of ties with Crimea.

“There is a clearly observable demand for more information about Crimea — young people are genuinely interested. At the same time, many of them lack personal experience of direct interaction with the peninsula, which makes access to knowledge all the more important. In this context, history can serve as a strong foundation for building greater awareness, fostering deeper understanding, and establishing a lasting connection with Crimea,” noted Martyn-Oleksandr Kyslyi.

In conclusion, Yevhen Bondarenko emphasized the importance of continuing such initiatives to foster sustainable social cohesion, to deepen young people’s understanding of the significance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and to support the reintegration of temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea.