EU vows to protect Ukrainian culture as Russia targets over 500 heritage sites
Moscow has destroyed or damaged more than 500 cultural sites in Ukraine, according to UNESCO. The EU has allocated an additional €2 million to support the cultural sector.
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00:00Churches, memorials and libraries. Russia has damaged or destroyed over 500 cultural sites in Ukraine, including 150 religious sites in three years of war, according to UNESCO. This includes the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa and the Theatre in Mariupol.
00:22This is deliberate, this is coordinated and this is strategic because our enemies, the aggressors, Russian aggressors know that a nation is more than just territory. A nation is the people, it's the stories, it's the tradition, it's the values, it's their culture, which is why we must be strong on this point. We must continue to support our Ukrainian friends.
00:46The protection of Ukraine's cultural heritage, threatened by three years of war, was at the heart of the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine in Italy. The EU will dedicate a further 2 million euros to support Ukraine's cultural sector, bringing its contribution to 7 million euros this year and 48 million euros since the start of the war.
01:11So the war in Ukraine, it's not just a war for our territory. It's a war on values. It's a war on culture. And Ukrainian culture is part of European culture, which is why we must recognize its value and why we must protect it.
01:28We must look at what is happening in Ukraine, because whenever democracy is under attack, culture is always the primary target, which is why culture must be the primary defense as well.
01:42To deliberate destruction of cultural heritage is a war crime, according to the UN.
