Three faces of Russian foreign policy in post-Soviet space

Arkadiankatu 23 H (courtyard), 2nd floor, Helsinki · 28.11.2019 09:00 - 11:00

In 2019, significant changes in the domestic political landscapes and leadership in Ukraine and Moldova brought a new impetus to Russian foreign policy in the region. Vladimir Zelenskiy swept the political system in Ukraine, taking executive and legislative branches under his full control. Pro-Russian Party of Socialists won parliamentary elections in Moldova and unexpectedly formed a ruling coalition with pro-EU forces, even if short-lived. In the meantime, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko prepares for his re-election next year by “cutting a new window to Europe”, whereas his government is negotiating deeper integration with Moscow.

These developments arguably offer a momentum for Russia to recast its policies in the region. This seminar discusses and compares the three “faces” of Russian foreign policy – towards Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus respectively – and the main differences in its approaches. What are the key changes and how are they perceived in these countries? And what are the key implications of the new initiatives for development and security in the region and beyond?

For more information, please contact:
Maija Salonen, Project Manager, FIIA, maija.salonen@fiia.fi, +358 9 432 7727

Talare

Svitlana Zalishchuk

Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine

Svitlana Zalishchuk is a Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Prior to that she served as an elected member of Parliament of Ukraine since 2014. Ms Zalishchuk began her career as a TV and newspaper journalist. Later, she joined the presidential administration serving as a spokesperson to the Chief of Staff during 2005-2006. Ms Zalishchuk has co-founded and run the NGO ‘Centre of United Actions’. She has also founded the government watchdog CHESNO (Fair) and co-founded the Reanimation Package of Reforms, a platform that unites around 50 NGOs promoting democratic reforms in Ukraine. She has been granted the Anna Lindh Prize as a human rights defender (2016).

Stanislav Secrieru

Senior Analyst, European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)

Stanislav Secrieru is Senior Analyst at the EUISS, where he covers Russia and the EU’s eastern neighbourhood. His research interests are EU-Russia relations, Russia’s foreign and security policy in the post-Soviet region, protracted conflicts and the EU’s relations with the Eastern Partnership states. Before joining the EUISS, Stanislav was a Senior Research Fellow at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (2014-2016) and a Policy Analyst at the Open Society European Policy Institute in Brussels (2016-2017). He has also been a Research Fellow at the NATO Defence College (2006), the Institute for European Politics (2009-2010) and the New Europe College (2011-2012). Stanislav holds a PhD from the National School of Political Science and Public Administration in Bucharest.

Artyom Shraibman

Political Analyst, Sense Analytics

Artyom Shraibman is a Belarusian Political Analyst, contributor for TUT.BY and Carnegie.ru. Mr Shraibman is a founder of Sense Analytics, a consultancy agency that provides comprehensive political analysis on Belarus. Previously he worked in political journalism in Belarus for more than five years. Mr Shraibman holds a LLb in International Law (Belarusian State University) and MSc in Politics and Communications (London School of Economics).

ordförande

Arkady Moshes

Programdirektör

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