In London, at the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, a High-Level Special Training Program on Diplomacy was held, organized by the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform in cooperation with the London School of Economics and Political Science and the LSE IDEAS Women in Diplomacy project.

The training brought together First Lady of Austria Doris Schmidauer, First Gentleman of Slovenia Aleš Musar, wife of the Prime Minister of Luxembourg Marjolijne Frieden, First Lady of Albania Armanda Begaj, First Lady of Serbia Tamara Vučić, and First Lady of the Czech Republic Eva Pavlová.

The topics of the training included development and use of soft power in crises, the evolution of the global economy under the impact of artificial intelligence, strengthening women’s representation in diplomacy and international relations, and inclusive diplomacy.

Following the event, a reception was hosted by the wife of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Victoria Starmer, where issues of diplomacy and women’s leadership in global politics were discussed.

The London training is the Platform’s second program for First Ladies and Gentlemen. The first took place in June 2025 in Austria, in cooperation with the Vienna Diplomatic Academy, with the participation of nine First Ladies and Gentlemen.

“Even in the conditions of full-scale war, Ukraine does not retreat from its role on the international stage – it expands it. The training at the London School of Economics is further proof that the Ukrainian initiative is setting standards: bringing together First Ladies and Gentlemen from around the world, shaping the agenda in soft power and diplomacy, and doing so in partnership with one of the world’s most prestigious universities,” Olena Zelenska emphasized.

The program was developed jointly with LSE IDEAS and the Women in Diplomacy project, with the support of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) and Brooks Newmark.

https://youtu.be/G8BPdtn_hIc?si=nffJd_8_GcQJ6CCn