The first conversation in a new BDA three-part series examining the war in Ukraine and its implications for the world will take place on April 30th at the Press Club in Brussels. Considering the question: The Russia – Ukraine War: Prisms of Conflict in a Fragmenting World, How Does This End? Dr. Vladimir Zherebov Head of the BDA’s CIS Expert Group will be in conversation with Ambassador Dr. Len Ishmael, Head of the BDA’s Expert Groups & Global Affairs.

This first conversation will focus on the effects of the war on the Russian State, its leadership and economy, and the stability of CIS countries. Russia’s deepening links with China, North Korea, Africa and the Global South; the freezing of Russian state and private assets, the soft power of Russian culture and language, the failure of diplomacy and reflections on how this all ends, will be discussed. The second instalment (June 6th) will explore how this period of crises is affecting Europe’s geopolitical and geo-economic position relative to the USA, China, Russia, Middle Powers and the Global South – and its influence and power as a global actor. The third session (July 9th) will examine the implications of this period of Great Power Rivalry on globalization and trade and what this means for countries of the Global South for whom trade is an important tool of development.

Further details and registration information are available here