Germany and Ukraine agree on cultural partnership

Berlin (d.de) – Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer and his Ukrainian counterpart Tetyana Berezhna have agreed to deepen cultural cooperation between their two countries. Weimer stated: “Our solidarity with Ukraine is not only military and political, but also cultural. That is why we are helping Ukraine, which is under brutal threat, to protect its cultural assets, artworks and churches.” Since the start of the war, the Federal Government has already provided 28.9 million euros in cultural aid up to the end of July. Looking ahead, the focus of cooperation will be on rebuilding Ukraine’s destroyed cultural heritage as well as its cultural and media sectors.

The visibility of contemporary visual art – including from Ukraine – is to be enhanced from 2026 onwards through a new funding programme entitled “Focus on Eastern Europe”, launched by the Federal Cultural Foundation. Ukrainian artists and cultural professionals in particular are set to benefit, among them the Kyiv Biennial 2026 in exile, which will be held in Berlin and give a platform in the German capital to some of Ukraine’s leading and emerging artists.