Roundtable debate: Conflict in Ukraine: Security Implications for the V4, the EU, and the Wider European Neighbourhood

On Friday, November 24, we hosted a roundtable debate titled ''Conflict in Ukraine: Security Implications for the V4, the EU, and the Wider European Neighbourhood''.

Opening remarks were be provided by Richard Turcsányi, Director of the Strategic Policy Institute – Stratpol (Slovakia).

The panel was composed of:

• Volodymyr Dubovyk, Director of the Center for International Studies, Odessa Mechnikov National University
• Yevgeniya Gaber, Visiting lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine
• Sergiy Korsunsky, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine
• Hennadiy Maksak, Head of the Board of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”
• Maryna Vorotnyuk, researcher at Center for European Neighborhood Studies (CENS), Central European University, Budapest

Ukraine is in many senses a test case for the current global security architecture. With Crimea annexed by Russia and a full-fledged conventional military conflict unfolding in the Donbas, the future of Ukraine’s contested sovereignty predetermines whether revisionism will reign over the world politics for the years to come. This round table seeks to shed a light on the security implications of the conflict in Ukraine for the V4, the EU, and the wider European neighbourhood. The discussion will also touch upon the shift in Ukraine’s security posture in the region and its strategic thinking, with akeen eye on how major international actors, including the V4 and the Czech Republic, have crafted policies in response to these events.

The discussion aimed to address the following questions:

• What are the implications of the conflict in Ukraine on the security policies of the Visegrad Four countries? How does the public of Ukraine and Russia view the ongoing events between the two countries?
• What role do the V4 states perceive having in this new security configuration, both within NATO and the EU?
• What leverage does Russia have over Central Europe to legitimate its agenda, and how is it building up its influence in Central Europe through information warfare and propaganda?
• Is Ukraine effective in promoting its interests in the V4? What are the common denominators for Ukraine and the V4 in the security realm?