Upon his election in 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyi promised to fundamentally change Ukraine by freeing state institutions from corruption and the influence of oligarchs, strengthening the country’s economic growth, and ending the war in Donbas. One year into his presidency, Zelenskyi’s track record on domestic reforms and foreign policy achievements is mixed. In particular, progress on rule of law reform has lagged; given how fragmented political leadership has become, it could be stalled indefinitely.
In this online discussion, we assessed what comes next for Ukraine considering current trends and recent developments. We talked about the role of key domestic actors, the recent DGAP analysis on rule of law reform, and what the EU can expect from the remainder of President Zelenskyi’s term in office.
Speakers:
Katarina Mathernova, Acting Director of Support Group for Ukraine, Deputy Director-General, DG NEAR, European Commission
Manuel Sarrazin, MP, Green Party Spokesman on Eastern European Affairs
Dr. Susan Stewart, Head of Research Division Eastern Europe, Eurasia at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)
Dr. Iryna Solonenko, Associate Fellow, DGAP
Moderated by:
Dr. Cristina Gherasimov, Research Fellow, DGAP
