The Future of Ukraine: Resilience, Internal Stability, European Integration
The Mieroszewski Centre was a partner of this year's Warsaw East European Conference (WEEC), which took place at the University of Warsaw from 1 to 3 July 2024 under the theme 'How to deter Russia: Resilience of Ukraine and of the Western Community’. The event focused on analysing the key challenges and opportunities facing Ukraine and the Western community in the context of Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia.
The conference featured eleven expert panel discussions and four academic sessions on topics such as the prospects for supporting Ukraine in the context of the US presidential election, the West's strengths and weaknesses in deterring Russia, the role of NATO in the Baltic region, the impact of the war on Belarus, and the role of women in diplomacy. Discussions also covered the economic, cultural and geopolitical aspects of the reconstruction of Ukraine and the impact of disinformation and propaganda in shaping public opinion.
The Mieroszewski Centre organised a discussion entitled ‘The Future of Ukraine: Resilience, Internal Stability, European Integration’, with the participation of Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, Wiktorija Melnyk, Łukasz Adamski, Andreas Umland, Julia Soldatiuk-Westerveld and Mykola Riabchuk.
During the debate, it was emphasised that the modernisation of the Ukrainian army to NATO standards is key to achieving a high-quality defence capability. Yulia Soldatiuk-Westerveld pointed out that "the information war does not end at the Ukrainian border. It is important that EU countries cooperate with Ukraine on this issue." Andreas Umland added that "a Ukrainian victory will be an impetus for international democratic tendencies, and may also have internal effects within Russia itself as the only chance for democratisation in that country."
Viktoriya Melnyk spoke about the civilisational choice of Ukrainians to become part of the European Union. "Ukrainians have taken this civilisational step that they want to be with the EU, with Europe already permanently," she said. She also stressed the importance of public administration reforms and the fight against corruption in the context of EU integration.
Lukasz Adamski, in turn, drew attention to Ukraine's demographic problem: "Ukraine's biggest problem is demography. Let's note that migrants are already in the EU structures and will not want to return." In this context, it is important to ensure living standards and a sense of security by ending the war.
Ernest Wyciszkiewicz noted that even if the Russian military is pushed back into its territory, Ukrainian cities will continue to face the threat of air strikes and bombings as long as people like Putin are in power.
The WEEC 2024 conference was an important forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences that contributed to a better understanding of Ukraine's situation and how to support it in its struggle for sovereignty and integration with the West.
