Marianna Fakhurdinova, a Research Fellow at the New Europe Center, as part of a Ukrainian delegation of parliamentarians, government officials and analysts, took part in a two-day advocacy visit to European institutions lasting from November 10 to 11, 2022. The visit was organized by the “Eastern Europe Foundation” (Kyiv) and Zentrum Liberale Moderne (Berlin).

On the first day of the visit, the delegation held meetings in the European Parliament (with MEPs from Latvia, Poland, Germany, Lithuania and Romania), the European Commission (with Katarina Maternova), as well as meetings with representatives of Brussels think tanks and the Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU.

The main topics promoted by the delegation:

• Ukraine’s integration into the EU (Ukraine’s implementation of reforms in seven spheres, Ukraine’s avoidance of the Western Balkan trap and the trap of internal EU reform);
• Confiscation of frozen Russian assets;
• Urgent recovery – help Ukraine to survive the winter.

In addition, the members of the delegation raised the issue of continuing to provide weapons to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility, as well as the creation of a special tribunal to investigate Russia’s war crimes.

On the second day of the visit, the delegation held a series of meetings at the European External Affairs Service (EEAS), underlining the necessity to review the format of the Eastern Partnership given Ukraine’s transition from the umbrella of the neighborhood policy to the EU enlargement policy.

At the European Commission meetings, the Ukrainian delegation expressed the need to find ways to confiscate frozen Russian assets and create a special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression.

At the end of the day, Ukrainian representatives talked to diplomats from the EU member states most friendly to Ukraine at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU.

Two issues that Marianna Fakhurdinova emphasized during the last meeting:

• European integration: The need for the EU and Ukraine to move at the same speed (implementation and assessment of reforms in the seven spheres), Ukraine’s avoidance of the Western Balkan trap and the trap of internal EU reform
• Weapons: Continuation of the provision of weapons to Ukraine and an increase in the budget of the European Peace Facility (estimated until 2027), most of which was used in 8 months to provide military aid to Ukraine.