The consequences of the war for Ukraine’s economy have been immense, and there will be colossal rebuilding costs in the future. Some argue seized Russian assets should be given to Ukraine to fund its military and contribute to post-war rebuilding. Meanwhile, Belarus’s economy has resorted to extraordinary measures in response to sectoral sanctions, though reported macroeconomic trends confound expectations. This webinar will explore these issues.

Confirmed speakers include:

Tatiana Termacic, Head of the PACE Secretariat Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons (France)

Nigel Gould-Davies, Senior Fellow, International Institute for Strategic Studies (UK)

Lev Lvovskiy, Academic Director, BEROC; economics analyst, Sense Analytics (Belarus)

Ivan Us, chief consultant, National Institute for Strategic Studies (Ukraine)

In Resolution 2499 (2023), the PACE addressed the challenges faced by the Belarusians in exile and proposed a number of solutions to be implemented by Council of Europe member states. The objective of this meeting will be to discuss the role national authorities, including parliaments, can play in supporting the implementation of these recommendations. This event is a follow-up to the PACE report on “Addressing the specific challenges faced by the Belarusians in exile” adopted in June 2023 and whose rapporteur is Paul Galles (Luxembourg, EPP/CD). It aims to generate a discussion on the role national parliaments can play to support the recommendations made in Resolution 2499 (2023), notably through the newly established international parliamentary Alliance for Democratic Belarus. It builds on the structured and regular dialogue of the Council of Europe, including its Assembly, with Belarusian democratic forces, and enhances links with civil society, human rights defenders, independent journalists and academia with a view to contributing to enhancing their visibility and outreach. The overall aim of the event is to support the efforts of the Belarus democratic forces in resolving the challenges faced by Belarusians in exile pending their return to a democratic Belarus.

The Warwick Ukraine-Belarus (WUB) Hub and the European Parliament Liaison Office (EPLO) in the UK invite you to the conference “The EU Integration Prospects for Ukraine and Belarus: Assessing the future”

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine brought severe security, political and societal challenges to eastern Europe, demanding a constructive response from the European Union, the United Kingdom, and others. The invasion has hastened Ukraine’s EU accession prospects, while the Belarusian democracy movement has made a clear choice in favour of an EU future. The Warwick Ukraine-Belarus Hub’s high-profile international conference on 28 June 2024 in London will bring together decision-makers, officials and scholarly experts to advance the crucial debate on both countries’ futures.

The conference will be a special opportunity for participants to exchange novel ideas, challenge existing thinking, and advance the key strategic discussions. It will showcase novel research and facilitate network building. Speakers will include representatives from the UK parliament, European institutions, and experts on and from both Ukraine and Belarus. We are glad to invite you to this unique event. Please register here to attend the event.