Our small exhibition company, IFWexpo Heidelberg, has been active in Ukraine for almost 25 years. Together with our Ukrainian partner company KMKYA and, since 2016, with our subsidiary DLG Ukraine, we have supported between 50 and 100 German and international companies each year with their exhibition appearances in Kyiv, as well as an increasing number of Ukrainian companies at trade fairs around the world.

The Russian assault on Ukraine has deeply affected us on a personal level. Many of our friends and business partners were and still are in great danger. Some have experienced horrific events under Russian occupation.

As a company that has worked successfully in Ukraine for many years, we feel a strong bond with the country and people of Ukraine. We bear a special responsibility for our employees and their families, who are threatened by Putin’s henchmen. Like millions of others, most have fled, but some have chosen to stay in their homeland.

Immediately after the initial shock, at the end of February, we donated €1,000 to the aid organizations “Come Back Alive” (https://savelife.in.ua), EAST-SOS (https://vostok-sos.org/en/), and the Volunteer Warehouse Center – Help Ukraine! (http://www.helpukraine.center/).

As it became clear to us with what brutality and criminal energy the Russian military is threatening the Ukrainian civilian population, we made it our mission to bring our employees and their families to safety in Germany.

Together with the colleagues of our parent organization, DLG (German Agricultural Society), we arranged and furnished permanent accommodation in Schwetzingen and Frankfurt for three employees and their six children. Many of the necessities were made possible through donations from our staff, while IFW directly covered some expenses, such as rental deposits, compensation payments, and new household appliances.

Our next step will be to arrange German language and integration courses and support their entry into working life in Germany. After all, no one can predict when the Russian regime will finally end this senseless war and when the comprehensive reconstruction of Ukraine can begin.

We are confident that Ukraine will overcome this crisis with resilience and determination – and that we will soon be able to resume our collaboration.