Reconstruction of Ukraine will be the largest rebuilding that the world has ever seen to date: Ukrainian Dialogue #6 by the Aspen Institute Kyiv and the Aspen Institute Romania

Thinkers, intellectuals, diplomats, and human rights activists from Ukraine, other European countries, and the United States discussed the challenges of war and a new global architecture of peace.

Elliott Gerson, Executive Vice President of The Aspen Institute (USA), and Natalie Jaresko, Chairperson of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board, addressed the participants with welcoming remarks.

Dialogue participants:

- Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, writer, and journalist, Director of Analytics, Internews Ukraine.
- Olexandra Matviychuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2022.
- Jonathan Littell, French and American writer, film director.
- Ambassador William B. Taylor,  Vice President, U.S. Institute of Peace, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009.

Moderator: Susan B. Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker.

Ukrainian and Indian leaders discussed Ukraine’s desire for peace within its state borders, the real reasons of the Russia-Ukraine war and evolution of geopolitics that it caused. Speakers also talked about  concerns that were raised by Russia’s nuclear threats against Ukraine.

Speakers of the discussion were: Natalie Jaresko, Chairperson of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board and Minister of Finance of Ukraine (2014 — 2016), Pavlo Klimkin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2014 — 2019), Ashok Malik, Partner and Chair of the India Practice – Asia Group, Kenneth I Juster, United States Ambassador to India (2017 — 2021), Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, visiting fellow, Ananta Aspen Centre, Indrani Bagchi, Ananta Aspen Centre CEO.

Yuliya Tychkivska, Aspen Institute Kyiv Executive Director made an introductory speech at the beginning of the event. Prerna Bountra, Assistant Director in Ananta Aspen Centre moderated thee discussion. 

Ukrainian and African leaders explained relations between Ukraine and African countries, how the Russian-Ukraine war impacts the African continent, why Russia is waging a colonial war in Ukraine, and why it is dangerous to allow the colonial power to blackmail the world.

Speakers of the discussion were: John Ulanga, Regional Director for East and Central Africa, Trademark East Africa, Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative, East Africa; Bruce Robertson, a founder and CEO of Gulu Agricultural Development Company and Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative, South Africa; Maxym Subkh, Ukraine’s Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa; Natalie Jaresko, Chairperson of Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board and Minister of Finance of Ukraine (2014 — 2016). 

Bright Simons, President of mPedigree, and Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative, West Africa moderated the session. Laila Macharia – Chairperson, Aspen Initiative Africa – Nairobi, and Denis Poltavets, Director of Program Development of Aspen Institute Kyiv, made an introductory speeches at the beginning of the event.

Ukrainian leaders explained what is the difference between Ukrainians and Russians, how Russia continues the Soviet Union’s imperialistic paradigm, what are Ukraine’s main needs and how the world can support it. 

Speakers of the discussion were Natalie Jaresko, the Head of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board and the Minister of Finance of Ukraine (2014-2016), Yulia Tychkivska, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Kyiv, Andriy Kulakov, the Program Director at Interviews Ukraine, Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine’s special envoy on sanctions.

The Aspen Institute Kyiv and the Aspen Institute Initiative for Colombia held the eleventh Ukrainian Dialogue. Juan Carlos Esguerra, Partner at Asesores Juridicos moderated the session. Pablo Navas, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Initiative for Colombia, made an introductory speech at the beginning of the event.

How did Russia break the security system of the world? Why will military defeat be good for Russia and Russian society? How do the Japanese perceive the Russia-Ukraine war? What is the Japanese government’s position in the case of Russian military aggression against Ukraine? What else should the world's democracies do to support Ukraine? Ukrainian and Japanese leaders discussed these questions. 

Speakers of the discussion were Hisashi Owada, the Former Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, writer, and journalist, Sergiy Korsunsky, the Ambassador and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Japan, Kuninori Matsuda, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, Ichiro Fujisaki, Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the USA, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The Aspen Institute Kyiv and the Aspen Institute Japan held the tenth Ukrainian Dialogue. The session was moderated by Prof. Takashi Oshimura from the School of International Politics, Aoyama Gakuin University moderated the session. 

Teisuke Kitayama, President of Aspen Institute Japan, Ken Ito, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Japan, and Natalie Jaresko, Chairperson of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board and the Minister of Finance of Ukraine (2014-2016), made an introductory speech at the beginning of the event. 

Ukrainian leaders explained what’s wrong with the Russian opposition, why doesn’t Ukraine have plan B, what are Russian propaganda’s actual narratives, and how did the Russian invasion help Ukrainians to realize their identity better. 

Speakers of the discussion were Andriy Zagorodnyuk, the Head of the Board of the Centre of Defense Strategies, Lesya Vasylenko, a member of the Parliament of Ukraine, and Anton Drobovych, the Head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.

The Aspen Institute Kyiv and the Aspen Institute UK held the ninth Ukrainian Dialogue. The session was moderated by Penny Richards, Aspen Institute UK CEO. Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Kyiv made an introductory speech at the beginning of the discussion.

What problems with humanitarian aid is Ukraine facing? What could anyone of us do to help Ukraine prevail? What kind of world are we looking for after Ukraine's victory?

Natalie Jaresko, a Chairperson of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board and the Minister of Finance of Ukraine from 2014 to 2016, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union, Andrey Stavnitser, owner and CEO of the TIS Group of terminals and Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board member, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian phiposopher, journalist and publicist answered these questions. 

The Aspen Institute Kyiv and the Aspen Institute Central Europe held the eighth Ukrainian Dialogue. The session was moderated by Ivan Hodac, Founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Aspen Institute Central Europe. Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Kyiv, and Pavel Rehak, President of Aspen Institute Central Europe, made an introductory speech at the beginning of the discussion.

Why has the Ukrainian economy been more resilient than anyone could have expected and how could the world help it to exist? How does Ukraine overcome history? What losses can the world have if sanctions aren’t introduced simultaneously in all countries? What are the consequences if Crimea and other parts of Ukraine will not remain under its control? There were main questions of the seventh Ukrainian Dialogue.  

Speakers of the discussion were Natalie Jaresko, the Aspen Institute Kyiv Chairperson and a former Minister of Finance of Ukraine (2014 — 2016), Yaroslav Hrytsak, historian, a professor of the Ukrainian Catholic University and public intellectual, Lana Zerkal, a Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for European Integration, Anton Korynevych, the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea from 2019 to April 2022.

Aspen Institute Kyiv and Aspen Institute Germany held the seventh Ukrainian Dialogue. The session was moderated by Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Germany. Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Kyiv, made an introductory speech at the beginning of the event.

How can the further partnership between Ukraine and the European Union develop? How could the rebuilding of Ukraine be funded? What narratives does Russian propaganda use in Romania and other European countries? 

Alona Shkrum, member of Parliament of Ukraine, Natalie Jaresko, Chairperson of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board and the Minister of Finance of Ukraine (2014-2016), Ana Catauta, member of the Chamber of Deputies, Romanian Parliament, Siegfried Muresan, Vice-chair of the European People’s Party Group in the European Parliament answered this questions. 

The sixth Ukrainian Dialogue was held by Aspen Institute Kyiv and Aspen Institute Romania. The session was moderated by Ionut Stanimir, Director of Marketing and Communication of Banca Comerciala Romana and Aspen Fellow. Sergiu Manea, Acting President of Aspen Institute Romania, and Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Kyiv made introductory speeches at the beginning of the dialogue.

Ukrainian leaders explained how the Russian military invasion of Ukraine impacts the economy, why continuing business in Russia means playing the Chamberlain card, how the current Russian government sees its role in the world, and what goals it has toward Ukraine.

Speakers of the discussion were Hennadiy Chyzhykov, the President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, the Head of the Board of the Centre of Defense Strategies, Natalie Jaresko, Chairperson of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Supervisory Board and the Minister of Finance of Ukraine (2014-2016).The fifth Ukrainian 

Dialogue was held by Aspen Institute Kyiv and Aspen Institute Mexico. Enrique Berruga Filloy, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Mexico, moderated the session. Luis Gerardo Del Valle Torres, Aspen Institute Mexico President, and Yuliya Tychkivska, Aspen Institute Kyiv Executive Director, made introductory remarks.