Five years after the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the onset of Russian-Ukrainian war in Donbas, the situation on the ground remains unchanged - the solution is still not on the horizon and tensions continue to fuel the conflict. The Minsk process did not result in any overall stabilization but remains in place as there seem to be not better alternatives. The Normandy Format under the auspices of France and Germany gives the room for the Ukrainian and Russian leaders to discuss the modalities of the settlement. The first Normandy Summit in over three years was conducted on December 9, 2019 in Paris. The results of this Summit were met with a cautious optimism regarding the agreements on implementing the Minsk Agreements, cementing the ceasefire, making progress on mine clearing, opening new crossing points, identifying new areas of disengagement, and exchanging prisoners. However, the advancement is seemingly tactical rather than strategic.
This discussion seeks to explore the engaged powers’ narratives on the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and to see the underlying interests of Kyiv, Moscow, Berlin and Paris that shape their policies in regard to the conflict.
10:00 – 11.40 Roundtable discussion
Chair: Maryna Vorotnyuk, researcher, CEU Center for European Neighborhood Studies
Orysia Lutsevych, research fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program, Chatham House, London
Aliaksei Kazharski, lecturer, Institute of European Studies and International Relations, Comenius University, Bratislava
Gustav Gressel, senior policy fellow, Wider Europe Programme, European Council on Foreign Relations, Berlin
Anita Szűcs, associate professor, Corvinus University of Budapest, Institute of International Relations