Although it had become clear that the war in Ukraine would last much longer than anticipated, far from the “Blitzkrieg” that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had envisioned, it was also certain that the conflict would eventually come to an end. The world would then have to address a situation in Europe not seen since World War Two. The country, first invaded in 2014 and then again in 2022, had been devastated, with its infrastructure in ruins, its economy faltering, and the largest refugee crisis in Europe since WW2. Tens of thousands had lost their lives, and hundreds of thousands more had been deeply traumatized by the consequences of the war.

On May 18-19, 2023, a series of events were organized in Vilnius, focusing on Ukraine’s future after the war. On May 18, a public conference addressed the complex challenges that Ukraine would face once the fighting ceased and reconstruction began. The following day, on May 19, an auction was held at the Town Hall gallery, featuring paintings by Petras Vaitiekunas and Ukrainian ceramics, with proceeds directed toward projects supporting Ukraine. The day concluded with a charity concert for Ukraine by the Odessite pianist Aleksey Botvinov and the Lithuanian ensemble NIKO.