Overview

On January 27, the EastWest Institute and The Hanns Seidel Foundation will host a roundtable debate on the political future of Ukraine and European security.

Following the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine in 2019, hopes and expectations towards the new Ukrainian political leadership have been on the rise. Since his election, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has taken some initiatives, including carefully negotiated prisoner exchanges, to ease tensions with Russia and deliver on his top electoral promise to end the conflict in the Eastern part of the country. In December, after more than three years, a further meeting in the Normandy-Format took place in Paris. Many argue that it produced limited outcomes, while nonetheless inducing hopes that Russia and Ukraine might be returning to a path of resolving the conflict politically.

Peace in Ukraine continues to be essential for European security. With the next Normandy-Format meeting envisioned for March, the question is: What lies ahead for Ukraine and European security? How is the current situation perceived by political actors and people in Ukraine? What is the role of the Ukrainian parliament? What can the EU do to facilitate a peaceful solution to the conflict?