The Director of the Sahaidachnyi Security Center has participated in a panel discussion on Europe’s enlargement and security during the Alpbach Forum.
In the panel discussion “The Geopolitics of Enlargement: A Way to Safeguard the European Space” Lesia Ogryzko joined Cristina Gherasimov, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integrationof the Republic of Moldova, James O’Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. State Department, Milica Delevic, Director for Governance and Political Affairs of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Engjellushe Morina, Senior Policy Fellow from the European Council on Foreign Relations.
During her interventions, Lesia Ogryzko stated: “The full integration of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova into the EU is crucial for eliminating the “grey areas” that serve as sources of instability and invite intervention from other geopolitical actors. The EU’s previous policy of appeasing Russia—playing by its rules and creating a buffer zone through various instruments like the Eastern Partnership and Association Agreements—has proven ineffective. Ukraine had to fight for every word in strategic document with the EU just to have its European perspective acknowledged, which ultimately fed the beast. Europe projects weakness when it fails to respond to Russian provocations. However, it can demonstrate strength by expanding its membership and eliminating any ambiguity in its neighborhood”.
“European enlargement for Ukraine represents a civilizational choice and a territorial marker, signaling to Russia that this region belongs to a different value system. It makes clear that Ukraine is not part of the CIS, the Eurasian Economic Union, its customs union, or the Collective Security Treaty Organization. However, for this to happen, the West must change its long-standing mental framework that views Ukraine as separate from the West. The issue is that Ukraine has never been fully regarded as “one of us.” In this war, Ukraine is often seen as “the other”—the good other versus the bad other. But in reality, we are in the same boat”, – highlighted Ogryzko.
