The Minsk Accords, intended to stop the fighting, started by Russia, in Southeastern Ukraine, have failed – but they still occupy centre-stage as ‘the only option’ for peace. Although at the time they averted the risk of all-out war, sporadic violence continues, with the constant risk of escalation. And for the moment, the prospects of any real peace deal are slender.

The Council on Geostrategy is delighted to invite you to a timely discussion with The Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood MP (Chair of the Defence Select Committee), Dr Mark Galeotti (Honorary Professor, UCL), Dr Alexander Lanoszka (Associate Fellow at Council on Geostrategy), and Vadym Prystaiko (Ambassador of Ukraine in the UK) to discuss the ongoing Russian occupation of Ukrainian sovereign territory.

SPEAKERS:

The Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood MP – Chair of the Defence Select Committee

The UK House of Commons

The Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood is Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East. He currently serves as Chair of the Defence Select Committee in the House of Commons. He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from July 2016 to 2017, and served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Veterans, Reserves and Personnel at the Ministry of Defence from 2017 to 2019. He is an active Army Reservist.

Dr Mark Galeotti – Honorary Professor University College London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies

University College London

Mark Galeotti is an expert in modern Russia, particularly its security, politics, and intelligence services. He has advised and given evidence to a wide range of bodies, from the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to Interpol and SHAPE.

Dr Alexander Lanoszka – Ernest Bevin Associate Fellow in Euro-Atlantic Geopolitics

Council on Geostrategy

Dr Alexander Lanoszka is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo and the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Canada. He has previously taught at City, University of London, and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, and a Stanton Nuclear Security Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT’s Security Studies Programme. Dr Lanoszka has worked for the United States Department of Defence and has consulted for Global Affairs Canada. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and an MA in Politics, both from Princeton University.

Vadym Prystaiko – Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom

Mr. Prystaiko has had an illustrious Career in diplomacy. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in 1997. Over the years, he has held multiple diplomatic positions including the Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada and Ukrainian representative to the International Organization of Civil Aviation. He has served as Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK since July 2020.

Moderator:

Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė – Co-founder and Director of Strategy

Council on Geostrategy