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Prof. Dr. Liliana Popescu, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for National and International Security (INIS) and professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, participated in the international debate titled “Strong Ukraine – Strong Europe: Joint Efforts to Establish a Just Peace and Combat Disinformation”, held on March 4 in Budapest.
The event was organized within the framework of the Focus on Ukraine project through cooperation between EUNIC Hungary and the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary, together with several partner institutions, including the Goethe-Institut, the Institut Français, the Romanian Cultural Institute, the British Council, the Austrian Cultural Forum, as well as the embassies of Nordic and Baltic countries.
Hosted by the Central European University, the discussion brought together policymakers, researchers, journalists, and civil society experts from across Europe and Ukraine. The debate focused on possible pathways toward a just and sustainable peace, emphasizing security guarantees, accountability, and European unity.
The panel featured prominent experts, including Hennadiy Maksak (Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism), Martin Ocknecht (journalist and coordinator of the initiative Pomozte Ukrajině s Pamětí národa), András Rácz (Senior Research Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations – DGAP and professor at Corvinus University), and Andrzej Sadecki (Head of the Central Europe Department at the Centre for Eastern Studies – OSW). The discussion was moderated by Hungarian journalist Vörös Szabolcs.
In her intervention, Prof. Popescu emphasized that a just peace must be grounded in international law and that sustainable negotiations can only be achieved with the active participation of both the European Union and Ukraine. She also highlighted that Russia has often used recent negotiation efforts as instruments of public manipulation rather than as genuine attempts to achieve peace.
Prof. Popescu further stressed that while war fatigue may be visible in parts of Europe, it cannot be compared with the resilience and sacrifices of the Ukrainian people, who continue to defend not only their national independence but also the security and democratic values of Europe.
Her remarks also addressed the broader dimension of hybrid warfare, including cyber attacks, political subversion, disinformation, sabotage, and cognitive warfare, noting that these threats affect all European societies. She cited recent examples from Moldova and Romania, where attempts to influence political processes through hybrid means were ultimately unsuccessful.
The discussion concluded with a strong message: support for Ukraine remains essential, as Ukraine’s struggle for sovereignty simultaneously represents a defense of Europe and its fundamental values.
Share
Prof. Dr. Liliana Popescu, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for National and International Security (INIS) and professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, participated in the international debate titled “Strong Ukraine – Strong Europe: Joint Efforts to Establish a Just Peace and Combat Disinformation”, held on March 4 in Budapest.
The event was organized within the framework of the Focus on Ukraine project through cooperation between EUNIC Hungary and the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary, together with several partner institutions, including the Goethe-Institut, the Institut Français, the Romanian Cultural Institute, the British Council, the Austrian Cultural Forum, as well as the embassies of Nordic and Baltic countries.
Hosted by the Central European University, the discussion brought together policymakers, researchers, journalists, and civil society experts from across Europe and Ukraine. The debate focused on possible pathways toward a just and sustainable peace, emphasizing security guarantees, accountability, and European unity.
The panel featured prominent experts, including Hennadiy Maksak (Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism), Martin Ocknecht (journalist and coordinator of the initiative Pomozte Ukrajině s Pamětí národa), András Rácz (Senior Research Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations – DGAP and professor at Corvinus University), and Andrzej Sadecki (Head of the Central Europe Department at the Centre for Eastern Studies – OSW). The discussion was moderated by Hungarian journalist Vörös Szabolcs.
In her intervention, Prof. Popescu emphasized that a just peace must be grounded in international law and that sustainable negotiations can only be achieved with the active participation of both the European Union and Ukraine. She also highlighted that Russia has often used recent negotiation efforts as instruments of public manipulation rather than as genuine attempts to achieve peace.
Prof. Popescu further stressed that while war fatigue may be visible in parts of Europe, it cannot be compared with the resilience and sacrifices of the Ukrainian people, who continue to defend not only their national independence but also the security and democratic values of Europe.
Her remarks also addressed the broader dimension of hybrid warfare, including cyber attacks, political subversion, disinformation, sabotage, and cognitive warfare, noting that these threats affect all European societies. She cited recent examples from Moldova and Romania, where attempts to influence political processes through hybrid means were ultimately unsuccessful.
The discussion concluded with a strong message: support for Ukraine remains essential, as Ukraine’s struggle for sovereignty simultaneously represents a defense of Europe and its fundamental values.
