Ukraine, as German historian Karl Schlögel describes it, was once perceived by the West as little more than a blank spot on the map. A dozen years after Russia seized Crimea and launched a shadow war in the Donbas, and four years since its full-scale invasion, Europe recognizes support for Ukraine as a linchpin of its own security. With its resistance and resilience, Ukraine has carved out a place in the European family, against the backdrop of war and a fast-evolving transatlantic relationship. Germany and other countries look to Ukraine for vital lessons on battlefield tactics and civil defense, even as Ukraine’s path to further institutional integration in Europe remains challenging.

On March 19, the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings, in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Washington, will welcome Karl Schlögel, professor emeritus in Eastern European history at Europa-Universität Viadrina and 2025 winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, for a lecture on Ukraine’s changing role in Europe in the wake of the Russian invasion. Schlögel’s remarks will be followed by a conversation with Center on the United States and Europe Director and Fritz Stern Chair in Transatlantic Relations Constanze Stelzenmüller as well as an expert panel.

Viewers can submit questions via email to events@brookings.edu.

You can attend the event in person or register to watch online. 

Program & Participants

Welcome remarks
Constanze Stelzenmüller, Director and Fritz Stern Chair, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings

Keynote address and conversation
Karl Schlögel, Professor Emeritus in Eastern European history, Europa-Universität Viadrina
Constanze Stelzenmüller, Director and Fritz Stern Chair, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings (moderator)

Panel discussion
Eric Ciaramella, Senior Fellow and Ukraine Initiative Director, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Fiona Hill, Senior Fellow, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings
Karl Schlögel, Professor Emeritus in Eastern European history, Europa-Universität Viadrina
Michael C. Kimmage, Founding Director, Kennan Institute