Forum of wartime diplomacy

On April 12, 2024, the Forum of Wartime Diplomacy was held at the The Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (DAU). The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Ukraine.

The event was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, diplomats, representatives of international organizations, public organizations, state authorities, experts and scientists.

In his keynote speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, discussed 7 principles of wartime diplomacy.

• “Stubbornness" and willingness to work even when partners say "no";

• Do not be afraid to put friends in an uncomfortable position;

• No need for "Plan B" and concentration only on the main plan;

• Maximum compression of decision-making time;

• Everyone talks to everyone, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinates not who tells whom, but what to say;

• Flexibility of decisions in the "menu" style, when you can choose elements of the decision;

• Clarity, directness and relevance.

Hanna Shelest, Director of Security Programs and Global Engagement of the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism" presented a special issue of the annual study "Ukrainian Prism: Foreign Policy 2023. Wartime Diplomacy" .  The research provides an analysis of achievements in the field of foreign policy of Ukraine.

The continuing defence of Ukraine marked the main achievement of 2023, enabled by the collective

efforts of the Ukrainian military, diplomats, and the entire society, which has been acquiring newfound resilience skills over the second year of full-scale Russian aggression.

The 2023 year witnessed a decline in media interest in Ukrainian events. Global public sentiment and support for Ukraine were adversely affected by the significant escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the active phase of the US presidential campaign, growing political divergences within the EU and NATO regarding assistance to Ukraine, and other global occurrences.

Maintaining a high overall rating of success in foreign policy actions in 2023 demonstrates the dedication and expertise of Ukrainian diplomats, politicians and public figures in the matter of winning victory and forming a new global security architecture.

The participants of the Forum discussed the development of relations with certain regions and foreign countries, in particular Latin America and the Caribbean, public, parliamentary and cultural diplomacy, various aspects of countering the armed aggression of the Russian Federation with political and diplomatic means and the implementation of President Zelenskyi's Peace Formula.

The panel discussion was also attended by: Iryna Borovets, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Oleksandr Merezhko, Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation; Volodymyr Sheyko, General Director of the Ukrainian Institute; Dmytro Shulga, Director of the Europe and the World program of the International Renaissance Foundation.