The GLOBSEC Forum 2025 in Prague once again affirmed its status as one of the world’s foremost strategic gatherings—bringing together over 2,000 participants from 78 countries, including heads of state, ministers, NATO officials, and private sector leaders, including pioneers in defence-tech.

Under this year’s theme, “Commanding (in) Chaos”, the Forum focused on Europe’s most pressing challenges—from collective defence and AI to securing supply chains and mobilizing support for Ukraine.
As one of the sponsors of a high-level side event, Piraeus Bank was proud to support Ukraine’s voice at this pivotal moment. In partnership with Ukraine Business News, we co-hosted “Ukraine in the Time of Trump, Tariffs, and a Revitalizing Europe.” The session, moderated by Mark McNamee, Co-Founder of Ukraine Business News, explored four critical areas of policy and investment:

• Western policy toward Ukraine
• The US–Ukraine minerals agreement
• Ukraine’s expanding domestic defence production
• Implications for global investors

We were honored to convene a distinguished lineup of speakers, including:

• Benjamin Haddad, Minister Delegate for European Affairs, France
• Davyd Aloian, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine for European Integration
• Oleksandr Korniyenko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
• Kurt Volker, former US Ambassador to NATO and Special Representative for Ukraine
• Jock Mendoza‑Wilson, Director of International and Investor Relations, System Capital Management
• Oleksandr Kava, Deputy Minister of Finance, Ukraine
• Mujtaba Rahman, Managing Director for Europe, Eurasia Group
• George Janjalia, Senior Country Security Manager, Healix Ukraine

Yannis Kyriakopoulos, CEO and Country Manager of Piraeus Bank Ukraine, captured the tone of the Forum with a message of pragmatic optimism:
“Despite the war, Ukraine’s banking system metrics stand among the strongest in the world—featuring high capital adequacy, low non-performing loans, and the lowest leverage in Europe. From 196 banks down to 62, this consolidation signals something deeper: Ukraine is not just surviving—it is building long-term, investable stability. There are no reasons for Ukraine to fail.”

The discussion also spotlighted Ukraine’s bold leap in defence manufacturing: scaling from $1 billion to $35 billion in domestic defence production within three years, demonstrating agility that speaks volumes to investors.
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Action Over Rhetoric

At GLOBSEC, a clear message emerged: Ukraine’s future is inseparable from Europe’s security, economic resilience, and geopolitical relevance. Turning dialogue into action now demands partnership—between public and private sectors.

Piraeus Bank stands ready to support investors, partners, and strategic projects that will shape Ukraine’s recovery and its European future.