She spoke about her experience on Espreso TV.“I started working professionally in Ukraine 10 years ago. My journey began in 2015, after the Revolution of Dignity, when I was at the European Commission. At the time of the full-scale invasion, I was the coordinator for Ukraine at the European Commission and chair of the body called the Ukraine Support Group. I had been working here, traveling across Ukraine, and cooperating with the government, the Verkhovna Rada, civil society, and journalists long before I came here. I always liked Ukraine, though there was a certain level of chaos and drama. I can say much has changed. When the full-scale invasion began, you suddenly became so focused, organized, and committed to your cause. It’s truly noticeable,” she said.Mathernova noted that the war with Russia is a major battle for Ukraine.“What I observe now when I travel across Ukraine, I remember, in 2021 I visited Mariupol, Berdyansk, Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Kramatorsk, Kharkiv, some of these places are now temporarily occupied. Yet I am now even more convinced than before of how important Ukraine’s decentralization reform has been. Wherever I go, people tell me: ‘We wouldn’t have been able to withstand the Russian occupation, organize ourselves, and hold out this well without decentralization.’ That’s what I hear constantly. What I’ve observed over the last two years is the strength and conviction that this is our country, and Russia has no right to tell us how to live. This is our choice, and it’s very clear. As I said before, the problems of Ukrainians affect me deeply because I live here, I go to shelters, I hear the same sirens, it’s a powerful struggle. It’s a great battle for Ukraine. I admire Ukraine and Ukrainians, and now I have even more respect and want to tip my hat to every Ukrainian,” she added.