On 3 April 2023, Foreign Policy Research Institute, with the organisational support of the Directorate General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions, organised a roundtable discussion titled “Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula and Prospects for its Implementation”. The event was simultaneously held online and offline.

The roundtable gathered together Bohdan Yaremenko, member of Parliament of Ukraine of the 9th convocation, Member of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Volodymyr Ohryzko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007-2009), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the Centre for russian Studies, Maksym Yakovliev, Head of the Department of International Relations at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Director of the School of Policy Analysis at the NAUKMA, Mykola Sunhurovskyi, Director of Military Programmes at the Razumkov Centre, Oleksandr Khara, fellow at the Centre for Defence Strategies, and Pavlo Zhovrinenko, Chairman of the Board at the Centre for Strategic Studies.

 

From left to right: Pavlo Zhovnirenko, Chairman of the Board at the Centre for Strategic Studies, Oleksandr Khara, fellow at the Centre for Defence Strategies, Bohdan Yaremenko, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine of the 9th convocation, Member of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Hryhorii Perepelytsia, Ukrainian political scientist, international conflict expert, Director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Volodymyr Ohryzko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007-9), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the Centre for russian Studies, Maksym Yakovliev, Head of the Department of International Relations at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Director of the School of Policy Analysis at the NAUKMA, Mykola Sunhurovskyi, Director of Military Programmes at the Razumkov Centre

 

During the roundtable, the participants discussed relevant issues:

- the peace formula as an alternative to surrender;

- peace formula as a condition for negotiations with russia to end the war;

- peace formula as a temporary security guarantee for Ukraine or a substitute for NATO membership;

- peace formula as a concept of a new international security system;

- alternative plans to the Peace Formula: geopolitical game or peacemaking strategy?

- Whether the implementation of the peace formula brings peace and security to Ukraine?

The discussion was moderated by Hryhorii Perepelytsia, Ukrainian political scientist, international conflict expert, Director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Doctor of Political Sciences. He emphasised: “This subject – Zelenskyy's peace formula – has already become an international trend. Our key task is to analyse how it can be implemented... This formula was emerging in a very difficult situation, but has already become the object of international events and efforts. It is a kind of litmus test, a test for the unanimity of the international community, and on the other hand, for the split resulting in formation of an anti-Western, anti-democratic coalition. Can the implementation of the peace formula lead to peace and security in Ukraine? This is the most difficult question, one of prognostic character, since so far we have not seen any other option for the formation of a new international security system.”

 

Hryhorii Perepelytsia, Ukrainian political scientist, international conflict expert, Director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute

In his speech, Bohdan Yaremenko emphasised: “The discussion is well provoked, as surrender was never a choice for the Ukrainian state in 2022. Therefore, surrender was not considered an option. Of course, in my opinion, the peace formula is not an alternative to surrender. What is the peace formula? It is a political initiative that should be considered not only in the context of Ukraine's recent peace-making history since last February or since 2014. However, this discourse is not enough to determine why Zelenskyy’s peace formula emerged and how to perceive it. I think it is a political initiative that reflects the absolutely unique situation in which Ukraine finds itself.”

 

Pablo Gan Quesada, Deputy Ambassador of Spain to Ukraine (Plenipotentiary for Political Affairs)

 

Atakam Artar, First Secretary of the Embassy of Turkey in Ukraine

 

From left to right: Alexandru-Victor Micula, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to Ukraine, Ihor Turianskyi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

The event was broadcast on the GDIP Media Centre YouTube channel. You can follow the link to watch the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcGg3bcPfQE&t=2296