Ukraine presented its experience in the treatment of veterans’ mental health at an international conference in Croatia
On 9–10 October 2025, the International Veterans Conference took place in Split, Croatia, organized by the Governments of Croatia and Ukraine. The event was the first high-level initiative in the field of veterans' support, bringing together representatives of 14 countries and various international organizations such as the European Commission, NATO, the United Nations, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as well as veteran associations, rehabilitation centers, and Ukrainian veterans.
Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia; Nataliia Kalmykova, Minister for Veterans' Affairs of Ukraine; and Mariia Karchevych, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine, attended the conference.
During the panel discussion on veterans’ health and psychosocial support, Mariia Karchevych presented the state-led initiatives designed to make mental health care accessible, systematic, and responsive to the experiences of every individual who defended the country.
“We recognize that the battle with pain and traumatic experience is another invisible frontline. And daily care for mental health is the weapon in this struggle. That is why Ukraine launched the national mental health program ‘How Are You?’ in the first months of the full-scale war. It is a coordinated network of services across different sectors, including healthcare, from primary care to specialized centers, from training medical professionals to upgrading hospitals. Most importantly, the program puts the individual and their right to get support at its core. The mental health of our people is, in essence, the very Ukrainian resilience admired by the whole world, and it must be sustained as we continue to face the challenges of wartime.”
The International Veterans’ Conference marked an important step in strengthening the partnership between Ukraine and Croatia and paved the way for the implementation of joint programs to support veterans and facilitate the exchange of expertise in rehabilitation, mental health, and social reintegration.