KYIV — Fast-growing European public affairs and communications group Rud Pedersen has opened its latest office in Kyiv, with the aim of advocating for a more integrated Europe in which Ukraine plays a role.

The new office will act as a local hub and advisor to companies, institutions and organisations looking to engage with, invest in, and develop business in Ukraine. The operation will be led by public affairs specialist and strategic communications advisor Myron Wasylyk, who has worked as an advisor to some of Ukraine’s largest companies, including, most recently, Naftogaz, the country’s biggest oil and gas firm.

Wasylyk was previously CEO of PBN Hill+Knowlton Strategies from 2014-2019, overseeing operations in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, having been a partner at PBN from 1997 to its merger with H+K in 2013.

Rud Pedersen Group CEO Morten Rud Pedersen said: “I’m happy that we can finally open in Kyiv, I have wanted to do that since day one. Many international companies have scaled back due to security concerns, but Rud Pedersen Group is one of the first communications groups to move into Ukraine amidst the war and assist in rebuilding the country. I look forward to visiting our Kyiv office personally soon.”

He added that the invasion of Ukraine had fundamentally challenged European security and had a significant impact not just on Europe but on the global economy, and that Ukraine will likely be at the centre of attention in Europe and Western capitals for the coming decade: “It is Rud Pedersen Group’s position that the best way to re-build Ukraine sustainably is through partnerships, trade and foreign investment in Ukrainian industries. We already experience considerable interest from clients on supporting them in Ukraine.”

Wasylyk said: “I'm excited to be joining Rud Pedersen's global team and offering my 35 years of on-the-ground experience in Ukraine to clients. As one of the first and only public affairs and communications groups with a newly established presence in Kyiv, we are looking to build a strong pan-European offering by being at the heart of an increasingly strategically important capital city. The opening of Rud Pedersen in the region is a vote of confidence for Ukraine's efforts to rebuild and attract business and foreign direct investment.”

Rud Pedersen Group, which was named as PRovoke Media's EMEA public affairs agency of the year for 2023, now has a footprint across 14 European countries.