Do you remember the way Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed residents of the post-Soviet states after winning the elections? “Look at us, everything is possible!”.  The New Europe Center has analyzed whether his presidency has become an element of Ukraine’s “soft power” in the region.

On July, 8 Alyona Getmanchuk, the New Europe Center Director, Anna Medvedeva, NEC Research Fellow, and Sergiy Soloskyy, First Deputy Director, presented the comprehensive research “Ukraine’s “soft power” in the region. What has changed during the presidency of Volodymyr Zelenskyy? Cases of Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Russia”.

The document is a continuation of the study “Ukraine’s Soft Power in the region: The Tool for Effective Foreign Policy” (2011), conducted by the New Europe Center nine years ago.

The representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Ukrainian think-tanks took part in the discussion, namely:

• Eugene Enin, Євгеній ЄНІН, Заступник Міністра закордонних справ України
• Andriy Bukvych, Director General of the Directorate for Foreign Policy in the Office of the President of Ukraine
• Vadym Halaichuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Integration of Ukraine with the European Union
• Hanna Hopko, Head of the National interests advocacy network ants ANTS
• Victoria Zakrevskaya, political analyst
• Grigoriy Frolov, vice president «Free Russia Foundation»
• Leo Litra, Senior Research Fellow of the New Europe Center

Participants of the event had an opportunity to join the event online. Please find the video from the event here:

Some key points from the speakers:

• Ukraine is not interesting and attractive as little Russia or big Belarus. It is interesting in the post-Soviet states as a trendsetter of democratic and Eurointegration processes.
• The presidency of Zeleneskyy has strengthened Ukraine‘s position in the post-Soviet states. The first reason is his young age (as for a politician), the second is that in Ukraine there is a renewal of elites.
  
• Only democratic, reformed Ukraine could become a real soft power for the region. Changes in the country are to be radical: visible shifts towards deoligarchization, strengthening the rule of law etc.
• Democracy is a key element of Ukraine’s soft power. Business comes to that states, where the rule of law and fair courts exist.

Please find the photo report from the event here.

The event was organized by the New Europe Center as part of its project implemented under the USAID/ENGAGE activity, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Pact. The contents of this event are the sole responsibility of Pact and its implementing partners and do not necessary reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.