Today, on the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine, Maryna Burdeina, Chair of the Board of the NGO “Sofiiske Bratstvo,” took part in the National Prayer Breakfast 2026 in Kyiv.
Before the official programme began, representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations addressed the participants.
Among those who spoke at the Prayer Breakfast were President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, and Israeli politician and dissident Natan Sharansky.
One of the key themes of the gathering was responsibility for the unity of Ukrainian society. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of preserving unity within the country and being able to forgive one another without abandoning the pursuit of justice.
The National Prayer Breakfast continues a tradition that began in the United States in 1953. In Ukraine, it has acquired its own meaning, becoming a space where representatives of government, religious communities, and civil society can meet and discuss Ukraine’s future, its recovery, and social cohesion.
Finding common words is not difficult. What matters far more is agreeing on what those words actually mean – especially when we speak about responsibility, justice, unity, and the common good.
And often, the most important conversations begin after the official programme has ended. It is through such encounters, new connections, and exchanges of ideas that concrete joint initiatives can eventually emerge.
More to come! 🇺🇦
