Ukraine Foundation
Inspiring Change, Driving Impact
Edward Burton is a globally recognized leader in international trade, cross-cultural commerce, and Middle East economic relations, with decades of high-level experience spanning government, nonprofit, and private sectors.
Edward Burton currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Prosperity of the Commons International (PCI), a global organization dedicated to promoting prosperity-centric development within local and international economies. In this role, he oversees daily operations and global programming, while directing the organization’s strategic focus across key international markets.
Prior to joining PCI, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSBC), advancing U.S.-Middle East commercial relations and public-private partnerships. for over a decade. During his tenure, he managed a multimillion annual budget, led U.S. and Saudi-based executive teams, and cultivated strategic relationships with stakeholders across the public and private sectors. His leadership facilitated hundreds of successful business partnerships and development projects between American and Saudi enterprises. He has organized and led historic trade events, including large-scale business conferences in Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, as well as the official gala dinner for King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during his 2015 visit to Washington, D.C.
Before entering the nonprofit and private sector, Edward served as Commercial Counselor and Commercial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, having been appointed by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. He managed a staff of 30 and was responsible for all operations of the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Prior roles also include Director of the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Philadelphia under the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Director of New Jersey’s International Trade Office, where he oversaw global commercial offices in London, Tokyo, Beijing, and Mexico City.
Edward Burton is the author of “Business and Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia”, published by John Wiley & Sons in 2016, which received critical acclaim for its insight into cross-cultural commerce and market entry strategy. He has written extensively on international trade and Middle East economic policy for leading publications such as Fortune Magazine, Offshore Magazine, World Water, International Mining, and Nuclear Power International. His thought leadership has also appeared in policy-focused outlets like The Hill, and he has been featured in televised interviews including a 2018 segment on CNBC analyzing U.S.-Saudi economic relations. He has spoken widely, including as a guest lecturer at the Library of Congress, and has moderated and hosted major bilateral events attended by world leaders, senior government ministers, and Fortune 500 executives.
Edward Burton holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Dickinson School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Charleston. He completed executive education in International Trade and Management at the Thunderbird School of International Business and the Harvard Business School. He is also a Certified Sustainability Practitioner through the New York-based global firm, AccountAbility LLC.
Edward Burton is fluent in English and proficient in Arabic, with strong cross-cultural communication skills developed through decades of professional experience across the Middle East and global markets.
Kyiv Post: Read the latest publications of Ukraine Foundation’s Senior Fellow, Security and Eastern Europe, Maksym Beznosiuk
The Kremlin’s Drone War Has Gone Strategic: Ukraine Must Brace Itself for an Onslaught – August 5, 2026
The Kremlin’s Drone War Is Now a War on Ukraine’s Resilience – July 26, 2025
Russia’s Drones Campaign Part of Its Hybrid Warfare Strategy – June 26, 2025
G7 NB: Kremlin’s Hectic Summer Offensive Preparation and Looming Humanitarian Crisis – June 16, 2025
Negotiating Under Fire: The Kremlin’s Offensive Diplomacy – June 1, 2025
Istanbul Deception: Kremlin’s Peace Talks’ Trap – What West Must Do About It – May 20, 2025
Why the Kremlin’s Peace Narrative Is Strategic Deception – May 12, 2025
Lviv: Ukraine Foundation’s Director for Cultural Affairs Alex Luna Leads the National Anthem Before the Final of the 2025 Ukrainian Football Cup.
Our entire teams at Ukraine Foundation were filled with immense pride to watch our Director of Cultural Affairs, Alex Luna, delivering a powerful a cappella performance of “Ukraine’s Glory Has Not Perished,” the national anthem, leading the entire Arena Lviv stadium at full capacity in unison on the opening of the Final of the 2025 Ukrainian Football Cup on May 24.
Princeton University & Modern War Institute At West Point: Dr. Mariya Heletiy Publishes “The Balkans Model and Conditions for Peace in Ukraine” In the Irregular Warfare Initiative
We are proud to share the latest contribution from Dr. Mariya Heletyi, whose new article has been published by the Irregular Warfare Initiative, a joint project of Princeton University’s Empirical Studies of Conflict and the Modern War Institute at West Point.
In “The Balkans Model and Conditions for Peace in Ukraine,” Dr. Heletiy draws on the experience of the Balkan conflicts to analyze the irregular warfare nature of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and what it means for peace-building. Her analysis offers a sobering but necessary perspective: that peace in Ukraine cannot be built on traditional negotiations alone.
Using the backdrop of Russia’s repeated violations of ceasefire agreements -most recently its broken “Easter truce”- Dr. Heletiy argues that today’s hybrid conflicts require more than diplomatic handshakes. The war in Ukraine spans far beyond the battlefield, touching diplomatic, informational, economic, humanitarian, and military fronts. As she points out, ceasefires in irregular conflicts often serve less as a path to peace and more as a pause for regrouping and rearming.
Drawing lessons from the Balkans, Dr. Heletiy proposes that irregular warfare tools -such as economic pressure, information campaigns, and unconventional tactics- must be part of any comprehensive strategy for sustainable peace. Her article warns against the false comfort of conventional approaches that do not account for the ideological drivers, asymmetries, and non-state actors that continue to shape today’s conflicts.
We encourage everyone interested in peace and security in Ukraine and beyond to read Dr. Heletiy’s full piece, which brings deep insight and strategic clarity to one of the most pressing issues of our time.
TVP World, UATV, National Public Broadcasting Suspline, Freedom TV, Kyiv24 News: Watch Dr. Mariya Heletiy’s latest media appearances
Somnia Disaster Featured In ICTV News
Somnia Disaster Making the News in Korotko Pro
“Somnia Disaster”: Alex
Luna exhibition opened in the Verkhovna Rada
YEVHEN GORIN
April 29, 2025, Kyiv – On the days of the next anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, a unique art and documentary exhibition “Somnia Disaster” was solemnly opened in the building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, under a glass dome. It became one of the central events of this year’s commemorative events and a symbolic reminder of the value of human errors and the responsibility for the future.
The exhibition takes place during the regular session of the parliament.
The Somnia Disaster project combines art, photography, film materials and modern audio installations in Ukrainian and German. Only the photographic part of the project, created by a prominent Ukrainian photo artist, a representative of the Kharkiv School of Photography, Vladyslav Krasnoshchek, is presented in the parliament building.
The photos are not only the iconic locations of the Exclusion Zone, but also the same age as the tragedy: the author of the project, opera singer Alex Luna, and Ukrainian supermodel Snizhana Onopko.
Today, the exhibition “Somnia Disaster” is shown in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Its ideologist Alex Luna, having implemented the project in 2021, sought to emphasize the fragility of life and the importance of remembering it. Probably, he had a “artist’s premonition,” says Tetiana Tsyba, MP and head of the subcommitteee on the protection of the rights of children who suffered as a result of military aggression. After all, today the relevance of this topic has not decreased, but on the contrary, it has acquired a new sound.
The exhibition “Somnia Disaster” will be available for viewing in the Verkhovna Rada during the week. From June 18, the exhibition will be hosted by the Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Kyiv and Sofia: Alex Luna Taking Somnia Disaster -A Chernobyl-Fukushima Cultural Bridge- Across European Parliaments
At a time when the world stands precariously close to the threat of nuclear catastrophe, Somnia Disaster emerges as a powerful cultural project that unites two of the most devastating nuclear tragedies in human history: Chernobyl and Fukushima. This exhibition serves not only as a bridge between cultures, but also as a stark reminder of our shared responsibility to prevent such disasters in the future.
Somnia Disaster is being presented in a highly symbolic setting — the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian Parliament) — from April 28 to May 2, during an active parliamentary session. Following this, the exhibition will move to the Parliament of Bulgaria from May 14 to May 21, where a major opening ceremony will be held. The event will bring together the Bulgarian Minister of Energy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, members of parliament from Bulgaria and Ukraine, as well as the Ambassadors of Japan and Ukraine, underlining the urgent international relevance of the project.
In an era when nuclear threats loom larger than ever, Somnia Disaster reminds us that memory, dialogue, and cross-cultural cooperation are vital for a safer future.
Somnia Disaster on Spotify
We are currently experiencing the greatest nuclear threat, which threatens not only Ukraine, but the entire world. What does it really look like in Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant? What is the probability of a Chernobyl 2.0? This is what liquidators, military and scientists discuss in this podcast.
Sofia: Somnia Disaster: Alex Luna’s Haunting Exhibition Arrives in Sofia
Renowned visual artist Alex Luna continues his powerful exploration of the Somnia Disaster with a European tour, shedding light on the haunting legacy of this enigmatic event. Following its impactful debut, the exhibition makes its second stop in Sofia, Bulgaria, where it has already garnered significant media attention. Through a compelling blend of visual storytelling and immersive installations, Luna invites viewers across Europe to confront the surreal and often unsettling dimensions of memory, loss, and collective trauma.
Somnia Disaster Featured in
The accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima are the focus of the documentary exhibition “The Catastrophe of Dreams”, which was opened at the National Assembly. The exhibition includes nearly 40 photographs by Alexander Tishchenko (Alex Luna) and Shigeru Yoshida, which touch on the psychological and aesthetic consequences of two of the largest nuclear accidents in the world. The event was organized on the initiative of MP Lyuben Dilov Jr. and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and the Bulgaria-Ukraine Friendship Group Hristo Gadzhev.
The exhibition is important for all Bulgarians because our country was one of the countries most affected by the Chernobyl accident, said Lyuben Dilov Jr. According to him, this is also the first artistic bridge of its kind connecting Chernobyl and Fukushima. Lyuben Dilov Jr. pointed out that after the horrific incidents, Japan has created another engineering miracle with the construction of a 400-kilometer wall with an average height of 15 meters to protect the coast, and the Ukrainian people have turned Pripyat and the Chernobyl region into one of the most exotic places in Europe. “The catastrophe of dreams” gives birth to new dreams, not despair, he added. Lyuben Dilov Jr. also recalled the words of Shigeru Yoshida, who says that only the one who knows the pain can cure it and protect others from it.
For his part, one of the authors of the documentary photographs, Alexander Tishchenko (Alex Luna), noted that in these days when the world is facing a nuclear war, there is no higher value than human life, because it defeats any catastrophe. The opening of the exhibition was also attended by MPs, public figures, representatives of the diplomatic corps and journalists.
У Болгарії відкрилася фотовиставка «Somnia Disaster»
У Народних Зборах Республіки Болгарія 18 червня відбулася церемонія відкриття фотовиставки «Somnia disaster» – спільного артпроєкту українських та японських митців, присвяченого ядерним трагедіям у Чорнобилі, Фукусімі, а також Хіросімі та Нагасакі.
Як передає Укрінформ, про це у Фейсбуці повідомило посольство України в Болгарії.
Експозиція унікальним чином об’єднала творчу команду під керівництвом Олександра Тищенка (Alex Luna) та японського фотографа Шіґеру Йошіди. Їхні роботи покликані привернути увагу міжнародної спільноти до проблеми протидії ядерним загрозам та спонукати до посилення міжнародної підтримки України.
Виставку вдалося реалізувати за підтримки голови Групи дружби “Болгарія – Україна” болгарського парламенту Христо Гаджева та депутата Любена Ділова.
Читайте також: Болгарія продовжила до березня програму підтримки українських біженців
Під час церемонії відкриття болгарські депутати та гості заходу хвилиною мовчання вшанували пам’ять жертв російського ракетного обстрілу України, що стався 17 червня. Внаслідок цього терористичного акту загинуло 28 людей, а понад 130 отримали поранення.
Нагадаємо, 12 червня на площі перед Народним театром ім. Івана Вазова у Софії відкрилася цифрова фотовиставка «Україна: любов + війна» – арт-документальний проєкт, який уперше представлено у Болгарії.
Somnia Disaster Featured In The Bulgarian Media
FAQs
What is the focus of Ukraine Foundation’s work?
Ukraine Foundation is an independent, mission-driven research and impact organization dedicated to advancing peace, resilience, and innovation in Ukraine. Our work combines rigorous policy research with practical initiatives that strengthen Ukraine’s international partnerships, support innovation and technology, and promote cultural resilience amid the ongoing war.
How does the Foundation turn research into impact?
We believe research should lead to real-world change. Our policy programs —Ukraine in Europe, China in Ukraine, and Ukraine in the Global South— produce insights that shape international dialogue and policy. At the same time, our impact initiatives foster cooperation between governments, businesses, academia, and civil society, ensuring that ideas translate into action for Ukraine’s security, prosperity, and influence.
How can individuals and organizations engage with the Foundation?
Engagement is central to our mission. Partners, experts, and supporters can collaborate through joint research projects, public events, and strategic initiatives in innovation and culture. We also welcome contributions to our programs that amplify Ukraine’s voice globally and strengthen its resilience at home.
How can I support Ukraine Foundation?
You can support our mission by contributing financially, partnering on research or impact projects, or amplifying our work through your professional networks. Every contribution -whether funding, expertise, or visibility- helps us strengthen Ukraine’s resilience and global partnerships.
Does Ukraine Foundation accept volunteers or research fellows?
Yes. We welcome dedicated professionals, researchers, and students who want to contribute to our policy and impact agenda. Opportunities range from short-term projects and fellowships to longer-term engagement with our programs and initiatives.
How can organizations collaborate with the Foundation?
We actively partner with think tanks, universities, governments, businesses, and NGOs to co-develop research, host events, and implement projects that drive meaningful change. Organizations interested in collaboration can reach out to us directly to explore tailored partnerships.
