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This work-stream pairs one of UCL's leading experts on Russian politics, Dr Ben Noble, with the Centre for European Reform, the UK-based think-tank on European integration, to interrogate developments relating to Russia’s war on Ukraine and prospects for European security.

Poltava, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine

Objectives

  • to track, assess and analyse developments relating to Russia’s war on Ukraine
  • to generate new insights through cross-disciplinary discussion
  • to foster exchange between policymakers and the academy

Project partners

Fostering dialogue between policymakers and academics

We are convening three roundtables and will produce a policy report:

Brussels Roundtable 'Ukraine's European Future: Prospects and Possibilities' (27 February 2024)

The first of three roundtables took place in Brussels on 27 February 2024 on Ukraine’s European future. The conversation what Ukraine and the EU might need to do to prepare for Ukraine’s accession, the obstacles relating to Ukraine’s accession, and potential reform to the accession process itself. It also considered whether EU membership on its own would be enough to guarantee Ukraine’s security, whether Ukraine might in future join NATO and what role the European Political Community might play in fostering Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. 

Brussels roundtable security
Andrew Wilson, Professor of Ukrainian Studies at UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, was joined on the panel by Ian Bond, Deputy Director, Centre for European Reform; Maryna Iaroshevych, European Integration Programme Director at The Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism"; and Natalie Pauwels, Head of Unit, Inter-institutional, Coordination of Relief & Reconstruction, Ukraine Service at DG NEAR in the European Commission. The session was chaired by Luigi Scazzieri, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Reform.

Read about this roundtable

London Roundtable 'The Russian Presidential Election' (10 April 2024)

This roundtable took place in London in April 2024 at the offices of the Centre for European Reform. The discussion focused on the implications of Putin’s inevitable re-election for the war in Ukraine and the security of Europe, while interrogating how Europe should approach relations with Russia and what would have to change (in Russia or the West) to return to a stable equilibrium. The following speakers participated: 

  • Chris Allan, Director, Eastern Europe & Central Asia, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
  • Dr Ben Noble, Associate Professor of Russian Politics, University College London
  • Ekaterina Schulmann, Non-Resident Scholar, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
  • Prof. Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, Professor of Russian Politics & Director, King's Russia Institute, King's College London.

Find out more

Berlin roundtable 'Europe's Future Security Architecture' (10 September 2024)

A third and final roundtable was held on the future of European security, including Europe's future security architecture, the impact of the US election, and implications for EU-UK relations. The discussion was hosted at the British Embassy in Berlin and chaired by Deputy Director of the Centre for European Reform, Ian Bond, with contributions from:

  • Claudia Major, Head, International Security Research Division, German Institute for International & Security Affairs (SWP)
  • Jana Puglierin, Head, Berlin Office, European Council on Foreign Relations
  • Luigi Scazzieri, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Reform
  • Michael Scharfschwerdt, Director Policy Planning, Federal Foreign Office, Germany 

Find out more

 

Policy report

A policy report building on these discussions will be published before the end of 2025.

Contact 

If you’d like to find out more about this work-stream, please contact Dr Ben Noble (Benjamin.noble@ucl.ac.uk) or Lucy Shackleton (l.shackleton@ucl.ac.uk).

Spotlight on Ben Noble

Read more about Dr Ben Noble, academic lead for this work-stream by reading his Spotlight interview here:

Read the interview


Images: Poltava, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine, Published on 12 August 2022, Photo by Margarita Marushevska on Unsplash. Globe, Photo by Jan Reinicke on Unsplash

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