Knowing Ukraine beyond the war
Lewanika Timothy | Tuesday September 8, 2026 13:48
In an interview with TIMOTHY LEWANIKA, Ambassador Oleksiy Syvak discusses the impact of the war on ordinary Ukrainians, the country’s economic resilience, opportunities arising from reconstruction and the potential for deeper cooperation between Botswana and Ukraine in agriculture, education, technology, energy and trade.
Mmegi: For many Batswana, Ukraine is primarily associated with the ongoing war. How would you introduce Ukraine beyond the conflict?
Syvak: Ukraine is a European country with more than a thousand years of history, a rich culture, extraordinary landscapes, fertile land and hardworking, creative people.
We have a very strong sense of identity. Our language, music, literature, traditions and cuisine are important parts of who we are.
But Ukraine is also a modern country. Even before the full-scale invasion, we were known for IT, digital government, engineering, agriculture, aerospace technologies and a vibrant creative sector. Today, we have also become a world leader in producing drones for different purposes. I think Ukraine and Botswana share an important value the importance we attach to independence. When you have had to struggle to preserve your identity and freedom, independence becomes deeply personal.
I would like Batswana to discover Ukraine not only as a country defending itself, but as a country worth knowing for its history, culture, people and ideas. Ukraine should not be defined by the war. The war is something happening to Ukraine. It is not what Ukraine is.
Mmegi: Ukraine has a long and complex history. What events have shaped modern Ukraine?
Syvak: More than a thousand years ago, Kyiv was already the centre of a powerful European state, Kyivan Rus, which remains one of the foundations of Ukrainian statehood and identity.
The Cossack period was also extremely important. The Cossacks had their own council, the Cossack Rada, where important issues were discussed and decisions made collectively. In some ways, it reminds me of the Botswana kgotla. The 20th century was particularly difficult, with revolutions, Soviet rule, the Holodomor, the Second World War and political repression.
In 1991, Ukrainians overwhelmingly voted for independence. Since then, particularly during the Revolution of Dignity in 2013–2014 and Russia’s aggression beginning in 2014, Ukrainians have repeatedly demonstrated their desire to determine their own future.
Mmegi: What has the war meant for ordinary Ukrainians?
Syvak: Today, there is really no completely safe place in Ukraine. Russia attacks civilian infrastructure and residential areas with drones, ballistic missiles and aerial bombs.
For ordinary people, the war means families being separated, mothers taking children to shelters in the middle of the night, people losing homes and businesses and, sometimes, people they love.
But there is another part of the story. People continue teaching children, opening cafés, starting businesses, repairing houses, planting crops, marrying and making plans for the future.
That is resilience. It is not simply the ability to endure something terrible. It is the ability, under difficult circumstances, to keep moving forward and build something new.
Mmegi: Beyond the military dimension, what has been the economic impact?
Syvak: The economic impact has been enormous. Factories and businesses have been destroyed or damaged and infrastructure attacked. Around six million Ukrainians have been internally displaced, while roughly the same number have left the country. Logistics have also become much more complicated, particularly when access to Black Sea ports was disrupted.
But the Ukrainian economy adapted. Companies relocated, businesses developed new supply routes, the IT sector continued working with international clients, farmers continued producing and exporting, and entrepreneurs found ways to operate. There are therefore two stories of enormous destruction and economic loss, but also extraordinary adaptation.
Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery needs are estimated at almost US$588 billion over the next decade. That represents a huge challenge, but also gives an indication of the scale of the economic and investment opportunities that reconstruction will create.
Mmegi: Ukraine is a major agricultural producer. How has the war affected its role in global food security?
Syvak: Ukraine has some of the most fertile soil in the world and has traditionally been a major exporter of wheat, maize, barley, sunflower oil and other agricultural products. When ports were blocked, fields mined and storage facilities and infrastructure damaged, the consequences were felt far beyond Ukraine, including in Africa.
Ukrainian farmers nevertheless continued producing. They changed logistics, used alternative routes and developed a maritime corridor through the Black Sea.
But the situation remains serious. Attacks against port infrastructure in Odesa and international vessels carrying agricultural products put food exports under additional pressure.
When Ukrainian farmers can produce and export freely, it helps put food on tables far beyond Ukraine. Ukrainian and African food security are therefore much more closely connected than geography might suggest.
Mmegi: What gives Ukrainians the resilience to continue rebuilding?
Syvak: Ukrainians understand what is at stake. People are defending their homes, families and right to decide how they want to live.
There is also an extraordinary culture of self-organisation. Communities, businesses, volunteers and ordinary citizens organise themselves rather than waiting for someone else to solve a problem.
And Ukrainians believe in the future.
You can see a destroyed building with construction taking place next to it. You can see a business damaged by an attack and people already reopening it.
Resilience does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means understanding how difficult the situation is and still saying: We continue.
Mmegi: What will rebuilding Ukraine look like and where are the opportunities?
Syvak: Reconstruction will not simply mean rebuilding Ukraine as it was. Our ambition is to build a more modern, efficient, greener and technologically advanced country.
There will be enormous demand for housing, roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and energy systems. But opportunities will also exist in energy technologies, modern construction, agricultural processing, logistics, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, demining technologies and human capital.
For Botswana, participation does not necessarily mean joining very large construction projects. It can happen through universities, technology companies, agriculture, professional training, innovation and joint businesses. Reconstruction can therefore become an opportunity to create new economic relationships between Ukraine and countries around the world.
Mmegi: Botswana and Ukraine established diplomatic relations in 2004. How would you describe the relationship today?
Syvak: Official diplomatic relations were established in March 2004, but contacts go back much further. We know of Botswana students studying at Ukrainian universities as early as the 1970s.
Today, the relationship is entering a new stage. We have a resident Ukrainian Embassy in Gaborone, political contacts have intensified, and we are discussing agriculture, education, technology, trade and regional cooperation. We deeply appreciate Botswana’s respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law.
Now we are moving towards the practical question: What can we actually do together?
Mmegi: Which areas offer the greatest potential for practical cooperation?
Syvak: Agriculture is probably the most obvious agricultural technologies, irrigation, machinery, processing, storage and food-security solutions.
Education is another major opportunity. Ukraine has strong universities and technical institutions, and we want more cooperation between Ukrainian and Botswana universities.
We opened a Ukrainian Centre at the University of Botswana in January this year, which is becoming a platform for educational and cultural cooperation. Technology, renewable and decentralised energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, engineering and manufacturing also offer opportunities.
I am particularly interested in cooperation between small and medium-sized businesses. A Ukrainian technology company and a Botswana partner can start creating something useful together tomorrow.
Mmegi: What can Ukraine offer Botswana’s agricultural sector?
Syvak: Ukraine’s agricultural strength is not only fertile land. It is an entire ecosystem involving engineering, science, machinery, seeds, logistics, storage, processing and increasingly sophisticated digital technologies. For Botswana, I see particular potential in technologies that allow farmers to produce more with limited water irrigation, soil monitoring, precision agriculture, agricultural drones, satellite data and efficient use of water and fertilisers. We also have expertise in grain storage, milling, animal feed, food processing and agricultural machinery.
But the strongest model is not simply Ukraine selling something to Botswana. It is Ukraine producing something together with Botswana through joint ventures, local assembly, technology transfer, professional training or pilot farms adapted to Botswana’s climate. That creates skills, jobs, knowledge and value here.
Mmegi: What lessons can Botswana draw from Ukraine’s agricultural experience?
Syvak: Botswana should not simply copy the Ukrainian model. Our countries have different climates, soils and levels of water availability.
But some principles can be adapted: productivity, infrastructure, value addition, education and research.
Modern agriculture increasingly depends on data understanding soil, weather, moisture and crop conditions and using resources precisely.
Producing food is only part of the challenge. Countries also need storage, processing and efficient logistics. And much greater value is created when agricultural products are processed locally. The lesson is therefore not simply how to grow more food, but how to build an entire ecosystem around the farmer.