To close out Week 3 of European-Led Defense, focused on EU–NATO cooperation, participants heard from Amb. Oleksii Makeiev, Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, during a plenary themed “The European Theater of Operations: Support to Ukraine.”

“For me, it was instrumental to get into discussion with participants about what to learn from Ukraine’s experience in protecting ourselves and all of Europe from the Russian threat,” Makeiev said.

The discussion, taking place April 30, 2026, explored how cooperation with Ukraine is not only supporting Ukraine’s defense, but also strengthening European security through battlefield lessons, defense innovation, operational adaptation, and best practices in industrial scalability that are shaping modern deterrence and defense.

“Together we are much stronger,” Makeiev said. “Democratic nations which care for people, they will have an upper hand against autocrats of this world.”

Coming on the heels of the Marshall Center’s Defense Industrial Base In-Region Workshop in Munich, his perspective further highlighted the comprehensive approach underway within Germany and across Europe to build capability to address an evolving security environment.

The discussion examined how EU and NATO mechanisms can deepen cooperation with Ukraine while integrating lessons from Ukraine’s wartime experience into broader European deterrence, defense, and coordinated security efforts.

Makeiev further emphasized that Ukraine today is not only a recipient of assistance, but also an active contributor to European security and capability development.

“Germany is now our most important partner in terms of financial support, investing into Ukrainian defense capabilities, and bringing Ukrainian and German industries together as joint ventures to produce equipment for the Ukrainian Army,” Makeiev said. “And I hope soon also available for the allies and partner countries.”

This message was further echoed by Yevgeniya Gaber, Ph.D., who moderated and closed the panel discussion by saying, “The EU and NATO should help Ukraine win the war, so that Ukraine can help the EU and NATO win the peace.”

During his time at the Marshall Center, Makeiev also engaged with leadership to discuss future opportunities and initiatives the Marshall Center can support to further strengthen European security cooperation among all stakeholders.

European-Led Defense, taking place from April 13 - May 8, 2026, included nearly 120 participants representing 28 nations, alongside 53 presenters bringing expertise from across government, academia, industry, and the security sector. 23 of the presenters were Marshall Center faculty and staff, with the remaining 30 contributing outside perspectives and operational experience.