Internationale Conference:
“Geopolitical Zeitenwende? Ukraine and the Future of the EU”
12 November 2025
9:30 – 17:30
Academy of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Tiergartenstraße 35, 10785 Berlin
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The Centre for Liberal Modernity together with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation cordially invite you to attend our international conference ‘Geopolitical Zeitenwende? Ukraine and the Future of the EU’ on Wednesday, 12 November 2025 at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Academy.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine marks a geopolitical turning point. At a time of growing global uncertainty, EU enlargement has become indispensable for strengthening Europe’s position as a geopolitical actor and securing regional stability. At the same time, enlargement requires internal EU reforms to ensure its ability to act. The question of how to shape a strategically oriented EU enlargement policy will be the focal point of our conference.
The conference will open with keynote speeches by Florian Hahn, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, and Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Member of the Verkhovna Rada and Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU.
In particular, the following questions will be addressed:
- Ukraine’s accession to the EU: Where do we stand and what are the next steps?
- What are the current challenges of EU enlargement policy?
- What is the state of implementation of EU reforms in the candidate countries Ukraine and Moldova?
- Given the upheaval in international politics, how much priority does Germany and the EU attach to Ukraine’s accession?
The one-day conference will bring together decision-makers from politics and diplomacy, experts from academia and think tanks, and representatives of civil society and the media from the European Union, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.Together, we aim at developing concrete ideas for a strategically oriented EU enlargement policy.
We cordially invite you to our reception which will take place after the conference.
Programme
09:00 – 09:30 | REGISTRATION, coffee & croissants
09:30 – 10:00 | OPENING
- Peter Fischer-Bollin, Head of Division Analysis and Consulting, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)
- Marieluise Beck/Ralf Fücks, Founder and Managing Director, Center for Liberal Modernity (LibMod)
10:00 – 10:30 | KEYNOTES
- Florian Hahn MP (CSU), Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office
- Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze MP (European Solidarity), Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
10:30 – 12:00 | PANEL 1
Ukraine’s EU accession: Where do we stand and what is the way forward? What are the stumbling blocks that need to be removed? Which intermediate steps on the path to full EU integration are beneficial?
- Anja Wallau, Special Representative for fundamental issues of European policy, EU coordination and EU external relations at the Federal Foreign Office
- Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze MP (European Solidarity), Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
- Anton Hofreiter MP (Alliance 90/The Greens), Chairman of the Committee on European Union Affairs, German Bundestag
- Rebecca Harms, former Member of the European Parliament (Alliance 90/The Greens), Senior Adviser, Eastern Partnership, Center for Liberal Modernity (LibMod)
Moderation: Khatia Kikalishvili, Programme Director Eastern Partnership, Center for Liberal Modernity (LibMod)
12:00 – 13:15 | LUNCH BREAK
13:15 – 14:30 | PANEL 2
The state of implementation of EU reforms in the candidate countries Ukraine and Moldova – an interim balance
- Niklas Wagner, Special Representative for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia at the Federal Foreign Office (tbc)
- Liubov Akulenko, Executive Director, Ukrainian Centre for European Policy (UCEP)
- Natalia Gavrilița, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova
- Lolita Čigāne, Senior Adviser on EU Integration, EU Advisory Mission, Ukraine
Moderation: Thomas Birringer, Resident Representative Ukraine, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
14:30 – 14:45 | COFFEE BREAK
14:45 – 16:00 | PANEL 3
Civil society: driving force under pressure
- Sergi Kapanadze, Co-founder, Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS), Georgia
- Jerzy Pomianowski, Executive Director, European Endowment of Democracy (EED) (tbc)
- Olena Halushka, Head of international advocacy campaigns, Anticorruption Action Centre (AntAC), Ukraine
- Johannes Volkmann MP (CDU), Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, German Bundestag
- Denis Cenusa, Associated Expert, Expert-Grup, Moldova
Moderation: Simon Schlegel, Ukraine Programme Director, Center for Liberal Modernity (LibMod)
16:00 – 16:15 | COFFEE BREAK
16:15 – 17:30 | FINAL PANEL
What priority does Ukraine’s accession hold for Germany and the EU in light of the current geopolitical developments? What is at stake with Ukraine’s EU accession? What security guarantees does Ukraine need? How must the EU change in order to secure its ability to act?
- Jürgen Hardt MP (CDU), Spokesperson for Foreign Policy, CDU/CSU Parliamentary Fraction, German Bundestag
- Giedrius Puodžiūnas, Lithuanian Ambassador to Germany
- Céline Marangé, Senior Fellow on Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM)
Moderation and closing remarks: Marieluise Beck/Ralf Fücks, Founder and Managing Director, Center for Liberal Modernity (LibMod)
17:30 – 19:30 | RECEPTION
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The conference will be simultaneously translated into German and English.
Please note: Participation is only possible on site and after receiving confirmation of registration. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Khatia Kiaklishvili, Program Manager for Eastern Partnership, at konferenz@libmod.de.
We look forward to your participation and to the joint discussion!
Sponsored by:
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