Key facts
- The sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen was held in Kyiv, led by Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska.
- The summit's main goal was to create a shared 'language of resilience' to address global challenges.
- A new program, the Global Vocabulary of Resilience, was launched to compile concepts of societal endurance.
- Concepts from the U.S., Britain, and Ukraine were highlighted, including 'civic volunteerism' and 'sophiynist'.
- Leaders from 14 countries participated, with some attending virtually.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky closed the summit, stressing the importance of humanitarian diplomacy.
Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, hosted the sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv on August 24, 2026. The summit, established by Zelenska in 2021, brought together spouses of heads of state and government from 14 countries, as well as other global leaders, to foster an international "language of resilience" amidst ongoing global crises, particularly the war in Ukraine.
The event introduced the Global Vocabulary of Resilience program, an initiative designed to compile and share concepts that different societies employ to withstand adversity. Examples discussed included the U.S. concept of "civic volunteerism," the British idiom "keep calm and carry on," and the Ukrainian philosophy of sophiynist, which emphasizes perceiving reality with both intellect and emotion to drive action. Zelenska highlighted that in-person attendance allows visitors to understand how Ukrainians endure the war.
The vocabulary project is linked to Zelenska's "How Are U?" mental health initiative, aimed at addressing the psychological impact of the war. A public online dictionary and a print version of core vocabulary entries are planned. Attendees included first ladies and gentlemen from Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Serbia, Romania, and Slovenia, with others joining virtually from Germany, Belize, Israel, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Guatemala, Georgia, and Panama.
Leaders such as Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Estonian President Alar Karis, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb shared their nations' approaches to resilience, with Karis citing Estonia's "Tiigrihupe" (tiger leap) as an example of building resilience through early digital adoption. Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal also spoke, detailing the resilience of the nation's energy infrastructure against Russian attacks and the rapid repair capabilities of energy workers.
President Volodymyr Zelensky concluded the summit by emphasizing the critical role of humanitarian diplomacy as a pillar of major politics, stating, "May this pillar of ours be strong and always resilient. May we be resilient. May Ukraine be strong – in our community with you."