On Ukraine and Europe with Hanna Shelest

The new season of Vienna Coffee House Conversations opens with Ivan Vejvoda speaking with Hanna Shelest, foreign affairs and security policy expert from Ukraine, for an inside perspective on the Russo-Ukrainian war. As Europe debates how to support Ukraine and potentially extend EU membership, Hanna provides insights from the ground on the current state of the conflict. She discusses the resilience and sacrifices of the Ukrainian people, the shifting international perceptions of the conflict, Ukraine’s progress towards meeting the EU accession criteria, and more. With her hometown of Odessa close to the frontlines, Hanna gives a personal account of how Ukrainians are persevering through turmoil and seeking normalcy despite the backdrop of war. As Europe looks for solutions to the crisis, this conversation offers an eyewitness view of the tremendous challenges Ukraine faces as well as its ambitions for greater integration with the EU.

Hanna Shelest is a renowned Ukrainian expert on security and foreign affairs. She is the Director of Security Programs at the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” and Editor-in-chief at UA: Ukraine Analytica. With over 10 years' experience as a Senior Researcher at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies, she has published extensively on Ukraine’s national security strategy. In 2014, she was a Visiting Research Fellow at the NATO Defense College in Rome. She has lectured at institutions including the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and the World Economic Forum.