Ukrainian
Central
European
Forum 2025

16-17 December, Kyiv

In 2025, for the fifth time, UCEF  will bring together prominent thinkers and pundits from all over the region to spot common challenges and craft common visions for a prosperous Central European future.

8

sessions

100+

Participants

14

countries

Speakers/Day 1

Zintis SILS

Researcher at the Center for Geopolitical Studies (LV)

Oleksandra AZARKHINA

Head of the Defence Industries at the Economic Security Council (UA)

Pavel HAVLICEK

Research Fellow at the Association for International Affairs (AMO) (CZ)

Sergiy KOSHMAN

Head of Partnerships and Strategic Engagements at Helsing AI (UA)

Yuliia SHAIPOVA

Affiliated Expert at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Roman NITSOVYCH

Research Director at DiXi Group (UA

Balazs JARABIK

Founder of Minority Report, Partner at R.Politik  (SK)

Yehor VALIARENKO

Analyst at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Agenda/Day 1

09:30-10:00

Registration. Welcome coffee/ tea

09:45

Opening of the photo exhibition “War Through the Voices of Children”, speech by the authors of the photo exhibition

• Olena ROZVADOVSKA, Ukrainian human rights defender, specialist in the field of child rights protection, co-founder and chairman of the board of the "Voices of Children" foundation.

10:00-10:45

Opening remarks

• Hennadiy MAKSAK, Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)
• Oleksandr SUSHKO, Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation (UA)
• Felix HETT, FES Representative for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova (DE)

10:45-12:15 

Geometry of Regional Alliances: Weimar Triangle, Lublin Triangle, Odesa Triangle?

Moderator:

• Yuliya KAZDOBINA, Senior Fellow at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Speakers:

• Oleksandr MISHCHENKO, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (UA) (TBC)
• Sergiy GERASYMCHUK, Deputy Executive Director at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)
• Florent MARCIACQ, Deputy Secretary General of the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (FR)
• Michal LEBDUŠKA, Research Fellow of Association for International Affairs (AMO) (CZ)

12:15-12:45 

Coffee/Tea break

12:45-14:15 

Is America Still In? How can Europe fill the Gap? Consequences for Regional Stability?

Moderator:

• Oleksandr KRAIEV, Director of North America Programme of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Speakers:

• Mateusz M. PIOTROWSKI, Head of the Americas Programme at PISM (PL)
• Maksym SKRYPCHENKO, President of Transatlantic Dialogue Center (UA)
• Lyndon ALLIN,  Senior Advisor for CMI (US/MD)  

   

• Hanna SHELEST, Director of the Security Studies Program of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA) 

14:15-15:15

Lunch break

15:15-16:45 

The Evolving Defense-Industrial Complex Strategies in Europe

Moderator:

• Lesia OGRYZKO, Director of the Sahaidachnyi Security Center (UA)

Speakers:

• Klara LINDSTRÖM, Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS) (SE)
• Zintis SILS, Researcher at the Center for Geopolitical Studies (LV)
• Oleksandra AZARKHINA, Head of the Defence Industries at the Economic Security Council (UA)
• Pavel HAVLICEK, Research Fellow at the Association for International Affairs (AMO) (CZ) 
• Sergiy KOSHMAN, Head of Partnerships and Strategic Engagements at Helsing AI (UA)

16:45-17:45

 Building Societal Resilience Under Threat of War 

Moderator:

•  Yuliia SHAIPOVA, Affiliated Expert at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Speakers:

• Roman NITSOVYCH, Research Director at DiXi Group (UA) 
• Balazs JARABIK, Founder of Minority Report, Partner at R.Politik  (SK)
• Yehor VALIARENKO, Analyst at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”

Speakers/Day 2

Olga BRUSYLOVSKA

Chair of the Department of International Relations at Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University, (UA)

Maryna YAROSHEVYCH

Deputy Chair, Ukrainian Prism Europe (UA)

Felix HETT

FES Representative for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova (DE)

Daniel HEGEDÜS

GMF regional director, Transatlantic Trusts Central Europe (DE/HU)

Mante MAKAUSKAITE

Team Lead at Ukraine2EU (LT) (TBC)

Dmytro SHULGA

Director of the Europe and the World programme, International Renaissance Foundation (UA) (TBC)

Olga CHYZHOVA

Communication Director at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Jana KOBZOVA

Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) (SK)

Jakub JANDA

Executive Director at the European Values Center for Security Policy (CZ)

Valeriu PAȘA

President of Watchdog.MD (MD)

Anayit KHOPERIYA

Deputy Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (UA)

Agenda/Day 2

09:00-10:30 

The Role of Mainstream Political Parties in Stabilizing International Turbulence and Shaping the EU’s Response to the Emerging Challenges

Moderator: 

• Maksym  YAKOVLYEV, Director of the School for Policy Analysis and Head of the Department of International Relations (UA) 

Speakers:

• Vadym HALAYCHUK, Deputy Head of European Integration Committee at Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (UA)
• Katalin CSEH, Member of Parliament (HU)
• Andreas UMLAND, Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS) (DE)
• Igor KOGUT, Director of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Institute (UA)

10:30-11:00

Coffee/tea break

11:00-12:30

Black Sea Region: Peripheral or Central?

Moderator: 

• Hennadii MAKSAK, Executive Director of Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Speakers:

• H.E. Victor MICULA, Ambassador of Romania to Ukraine (RO)
• Elena SLATINSKA-OVANEZOVA, Chargée d’Affaires of Bulgaria in Ukraine (BG)
• Olha SKRYPNYK, Head of the Board of the Crimean Human Rights Group (UA)
• Suat KINIKLIOGLU, Former Member of the Turkish Parliament (TR) 
• Olga BRUSYLOVSKA, Chair of the Department of International Relations at Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University, (UA)

12:30-13:30 

Lunch break

13:30-15:00

Soft Power After American Retreat: Who Shapes Minds Now?

Moderator: 

• Maryna YAROSHEVYCH, Deputy Chair, Ukrainian Prism Europe (UA)

Speakers:

• Felix HETT, FES Representative for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova (DE)
• Daniel HEGEDÜS, GMF regional director, Transatlantic Trusts Central Europe (DE/HU) 
• Mante MAKAUSKAITE, Team Lead at Ukraine2EU (LT) 
• Dmytro SHULGA, Director of the Europe and the World programme, International Renaissance Foundation (UA) (TBC)

15:00-15:30

Coffee break

15:30-17:00

Hybrid Threats Unpacked: Implications for the Region

Moderator:

• Olga CHYZHOVA, Head of Brussels Office, Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)
  

Speakers:

• Jana KOBZOVA, ​​Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) (SK)
• Jakub JANDA, Executive Director at the European Values Center for Security Policy (CZ)
• Valeriu PAȘA, President of Watchdog.MD (MD)
• Anayit KHOPERIYA, Deputy Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (UA)

17:00-17:30 

Closing Remarks

17:30

Commemoration at The Wall of Memory of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in the Russian-Ukrainian War at St. Michael's Gold-Top Cathedral

UCEF Position Papers

FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY AND TRANSPARENCY

Once again for Central Europe

The Russian full-scale attack on Ukraine became a crush-test for the numerous forecasts, theories and concepts that were aiming at explaining regional context, driving forces of reforms within the region as well as regional identity attributes. People-to-people contacts, solidarity and common values, common perception of threats and resilience became more than theoretical constructs and were approbated on ground.

ARSENALS AND
ALLIANCES

Unprecedented Focus on CEE in the Face of Adversity

Paradoxically, the Russian war against Ukraine alongside the emerging threat has also opened a window of opportunity for the region of Central and Eastern Europe. Never since the end of the Cold War, had the region been so much in the focus of global attention.

The 2025 Presidential Elections in Belarus: Implications and Prospects

The current electoral campaign is unique for the Belarusian dictator's regime

It is already quite clear that the 2025 presidential elections will end with the victory of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, for whom the next presidential term will be the seventh of his political career.

The Struggle for Agency of Central Europe

Strategic Dilemmas and
Opportunities

The eight countries examined in this paper – Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Lithuania – each leverage distinct economic, military, and geopolitical strengths.

How it was before

Organizers

Ukrainian Central European Forum is organized by the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism, in partnership with the International Renaissance Foundation within the EU-funded "European Renaissance of Ukraine" Project. The Forum enjoys the support of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Representation in Ukraine.

Additional information:
info@prismua.org

© Ukrainian Prism. All rights reserved