16. Feb | Mélange Diplomatique – Actions and Reactions: Political Crisis in Belarus as Seen from Brussels and Moscow

Ponto in cooperation with the International Institute for Peace (IIP) and the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (ÖFZ) cordially invite you to the online discussion on the topic:  

Actions and Reactions: Political Crisis in Belarus as Seen from Brussels and Moscow

Date: Tuesday, 16 February 2021

Time: 4:00 – 5:15 pm (CET)

Venue:   Zoom link will be sent to registered participants

Registration: https://www.iipvienna.com/event-calendar/2021/2/3/x4ofgag78ycbcqj0nsgy25nvvwdkun

Panelists: 

MAGDA STUMVOLL, Research Fellow and project coordinator at the the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe, Ponto Board member
MARYLIA HUSHCHA, Research assistant at the IIP, Ponto board member

Discussant:

BENNO ZOGG, Senior Researcher, Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich/Co-Head, Peace & Security Programme, Foraus – The Swiss Think Tank on Foreign Policy

Moderation:

JULIUS SEIDENADER, Board member at Ponto

Content: 

Belarusians have taken to the streets of their cities and towns for over six months now, demanding free and fair elections after the presidential vote in August had been blatantly rigged. The longer the political crisis drags on, the more Russia’s and the EU’s perceptions of this crisis and subsequent actions matter. The elites in Russia view the protest as coordinated by the West, whereas the EU considers it as a purely domestic issue. Russia has a high interest in Belarus, in terms of security, economics, culture etc. For the EU, stability in its neighboring country is the primary goal. The Belarusian crisis has thus gained a geopolitical dimension that will play a decisive role in its future development. The panelists will present a recently published paper that investigates the EU’s and Russia’s attitudes and treatment of the political situation in Belarus. The presentation will be followed by comments by the invited discussant and a conversation with the audience.

The discussion will be held in English. By participating in this event, you agree that any photos or recordings taken that include footage of your person may be published or used in any other way by the organizers of the event.