Since the beginning of Russia’s full‑scale invasion, the EESC’s Ukraine Hub has offered Ukrainian civil society organisations a dedicated space to work, connect and host small‑scale events in Brussels. Among its users is Ukrainian Prism, one of the country’s leading think tanks specialising in foreign policy and international security. Prism representative, Mariia Korban, told us about the organisation’s mission and described how the Hub has enabled them to contribute directly to the European conversation on Ukraine at the heart of EU policymaking.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) established the Ukraine Hub in April 2022, two months after Russia launched its massive assault on the country. The Hub was set up as a concrete form of support, providing office space for Ukrainian civil society organisations (CSOs). The initiative quickly expanded when the Committee of the Regions invited Ukrainian local and regional authorities (LRAs) to join.

Since September 2022, the Hub has been based in the former VIP restaurant of the EESC’s Van Maerlant building. In 2023, Hub organisations were authorised to host small‑scale events, and around 30 such events have taken place to date, bringing together nearly 1 000 participants. The EESC also provides logistical support to Hub users, including printing services and access to network equipment in the VMA building.

Among the Hub’s users is Ukrainian Prism, the Foreign Policy Council contributing Ukrainian expertise on foreign policy and security to European debates. We spoke with Prism representative, Mariia Korban, who outlined the organisation’s work and explained what cooperation with the EESC means in practice.

Since opening your Brussels office in 2023, you have been very active. Could you briefly explain what Ukrainian Prism is and highlight some of the key activities or achievements you are most proud of?

Ukrainian Prism is a Kyiv-based think tank specialising in Ukraine’s foreign policy and international security. Through ten research programmes, we work on the regions and policy areas that shape Ukraine’s role in the world.

For us, expertise is not knowledge for its own sake, but a contribution to shared decisions. This is why, in early 2023, we opened an office in Brussels –  not to observe European policymaking from the outside, but to take an active part in European processes and to ensure the consistent integration of Ukrainian expertise into the European dialogue.

Since then, we have organised or co-organised 70 expert events in Brussels and across EU capitals, bringing together more than 3 000 participants from diplomacy, EU institutions, policy analysis, media and civil society. These events were designed to foster substantive and informed dialogue between Ukraine and its European partners.

In parallel, we coordinate four regional expert forums with Southern Europe, the Nordic-Baltic Eight, the Weimar Triangle and the Benelux countries, helping to strengthen mutual understanding and trust across Europe.

The EESC Ukraine Hub seems to be an important partner for your organisation. What does this cooperation offer in practical terms?

For Ukrainian Prism, the Ukraine Hub at the European Economic and Social Committee has become a genuine institutional anchor in Brussels.

By hosting us within its premises, the EESC has given us the opportunity to work at the very heart of the European institutional landscape – not as guests, but as partners in a shared European conversation on Ukraine. This proximity enables continuous engagement and lays the foundation for long-term, trust-based cooperation.

The Ukraine Hub also provides a stable platform for regular interaction between Ukrainian expertise and European stakeholders, while supporting the inclusion of a broader range of Ukrainian experts and civil society representatives in the Brussels dialogue. In this way, institutional support is translated into tangible and lasting impact.

Your organisation celebrated its 10th anniversary at the end of 2025. What are the main priorities for the next stage of Ukrainian Prism’s work?

Ten years is not a conclusion – it is a responsibility.

Our main priority is to do everything possible to help bring peace and victory to our country and to ensure a secure and sustainable future for Ukraine. With this understanding, we are focused on further embedding Ukrainian expertise into European strategic discussions on security, enlargement and Europe’s long-term resilience - as a credible and well-informed partner.

We will continue to deepen cooperation with EU institutions, Member States and think tanks, building on established partnerships and ensuring Ukraine’s active and trusted presence in shaping Europe’s shared future.

Mariia Korban is Manager of the Brussels Office of the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism, with a professional background in diplomacy and international cooperation. Her work focuses on European politics, EU–Ukraine relations, contemporary security challenges and public diplomacy.