Friendship as a Framework: Emotional Solidarity Among Ukrainians and Lithuanians

Abstract

This paper applies Georg Simmel’s sociological model of friendship and sociability to examine the relational dynamics between Ukrainian war refugees and Lithuanian hosts. Departing from formal or policy-driven integration models, it emphasises micro-level interactions – trust, sincerity and affect – as crucial indicators of lived inclusion. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Ukrainian youth and Lithuanian aid organisers, the research demonstrates how symbolic boundaries, emotional gaps and informal networks shape integration beyond legal access. Artificially constructed spaces, such as language courses and volunteer programs, can evolve into authentic arenas of emotional support and community when grounded in mutual participation. Simmel’s framework reveals how solidarity is co-produced and how sociability, not structure, becomes the key mode of moral incorporation.