Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, and Vadym Halaychuk, First Deputy Chair of the Committee, took part in this year’s “Forum 2000,” which is held annually in Prague. “Forum 2000” is an international platform that for more than a quarter of a century has brought together thought leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and civil society representatives to discuss the future of democracy and global security. This year, the event gathered over 750 participants from more than one hundred countries. Experts from South America, Africa, and Asia were present, which, according to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and Vadym Halaychuk, made it possible to frame Ukraine’s and Europe’s goals and threats in a broader context, as well as better understand global priorities and challenges facing societies in other regions.

“For us, it is critically important that the forum includes a dedicated track — the so-called ‘Ukrainian Forum,’ which provides deeper analysis of processes related to our security challenges, defence needs, democratic transformation, and European integration,” noted Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

In addition to participating in the track dedicated to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Chair of the Committee also spoke in the panel discussion “Ukraine: At the Heart of Europe’s Future Security Architecture?”, where participants discussed how Ukraine’s role in Europe’s security should evolve, what security guarantees are needed, and how NATO, the EU, and regional partnerships should be re-envisioned to fully integrate Ukraine as a key actor in European defence.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze stressed that Ukraine today is de facto the main guarantor of security on Europe’s eastern flank. It is defending itself on the frontier between the democratic world and the authoritarian coalition. “On a world-historical scale, this is about the model of state governance itself: whether the democratic achievements of the post-war era will be preserved, or whether the world will drift back toward authoritarianism in one form or another. Unfortunately for us, Ukraine is at the epicentre of this confrontation,” she said.

According to her, Ukraine is already a participant in the European defence system, which has not yet been fully established. This system remains in transition — from relying entirely on the American security umbrella to recognising Europe’s own continental responsibility for security. “Today, Ukraine is effectively the main executor of the security function for the EU and for Europe as a whole,” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze emphasised.
She added that what is happening in Europe today — drone intrusions, disruptions of airport operations, detection of hostile aircraft in maritime zones, and even drone strikes on private homes in border areas — is only the beginning. “The goal of these acts of sabotage is to probe the European security system and identify its red lines. Such acts, unfortunately, inevitably foreshadow aggressive escalations of various scales. Every instance in which we fail to recognise this carries enormous future consequences,” warned the Chair of the Committee.

She insisted that long-term support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia is not charity, nor abstract humanitarianism, but a component of European security for decades to come. Therefore, the question of Ukraine’s role and status in the European security system, in NATO, and in global relations must already be addressed. “De facto, Ukraine is a frontline state at the very forefront of Europe’s defence against a common enemy — the coalition of the world’s remaining dictatorships. But de jure? There is still no answer. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, nor part of other formal or informal alliances or formats. In reality, it is a key element of security today, yet this is not reflected normatively or legally — and this makes support for Ukraine dependent on the political will of European leaders,” said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.