Finland, Sweden, and Ukraine in an Expanded EU

Tuesday March 26 2024 9:00-14:00 EET

Hosts: Ministers for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Tobias Billström

Follow us live online here starting at 9 AM EET

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has had significant consequences for the Nordic countries, including Finland and Sweden, resulting in a security policy paradigm shift. Ukraine’s ability to defend its independence and territorial integrity against the full-scale Russian invasion has a direct impact on the security of Finland, Sweden, the Nordic countries, and the rest of Europe. Like other Western countries, our countries have mobilized extensive military and civilian support for Ukraine, but the needs for continued and long-term support are substantial.

The rapidly increasing geopolitical tensions have made the expansion of the EU to nearby countries even more urgent. In December 2023, the European Council decided that the EU should initiate membership negotiations with Ukraine.

What can Finland and Sweden do together to support Ukraine on its path to EU membership? How will Ukraine’s future EU membership contribute to the cohesion and security of the EU? What does the long-term foreign and security policy development within the EU and in our vicinity look like?

PROGRAMME

8:30 Coffee and registration

9:00 The moderator opens Hanalys
Erja Yläjärvi, editor-in-chief, Helsingin Sanomat

9:05 Introduction
Gunvor Kronman, Chief Executive Officer, Hanaholmen

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine (online)

Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finland
Tobias Billström, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sverige

9:45-11:00 Part 1: Ukraine’s path to EU

Keynote
Matti Maasikas, Special Advisor, European External Action Service EEAS, former Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (online)

Dialogues

Olga Dibrova¸ Ambassador of Ukraine to Finland
Andrii Plakhotniuk, Ambassador of Ukraine to Sweden

Kimmo Kiljunen, chairperson, Finnish Foreign Affairs Committee
Aron Emilsson, chairperson, Swedish Foreign Affairs Committee
Ville Niinistö, member of European Parliament
Nils Torvalds, member of European Parliament

11:00-11:25 Break

11:25-12:40 Part 2: Sweden and Finland and the development of the EU’s security policy position

Keynote
Heather A. Conley, President, German Marshall Fund of the United States, Washington (pre-recorded speech)

Comment
Hanna Smith, Senior strategic adviser to the Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

Panel Discussion

Veronica Anghel; professor, Johns Hopkins University
Martin Kragh, Deputy Centre Director (SCEEUS), Senior Research Fellow, The Swedish Institute of International Affairs
Niklas Helwig, leading researcher, Finnish Institute of International Affairs FIIA
Sinikukka Saari, leading researcher, Finnish Institute of International Affairs FIIA

12:40-13:00 Concluding Dialogue
Ministers for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Tobias Billström

13:00-14:00 Lunch

Languages: Swedish, Finnish, and English with simultaneous interpretation.

Participation is by invitation only. Do you find the programme relevant from the point of view of your profession? To find out more about participation, please contact tina.raiha(at)hanaholmen.fi.