Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to an unprecedented crisis across the world and caused challenges to the global order not seen since World War II. More than 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the conflict, over 8000 people were killed, and the World Bank suggested in its latest report that $411bn is the minimum amount needed for post war reconstruction of Ukraine. The West is well aware of the upcoming costs and the urgent need to gather the funds, but so far, little has been done. Some are concerned that other actors may step in – notably China – which could create complicated implications for the region. Obviously, the Ukrainian government and its citizens are the key authorities to decide whose money, and under what terms, will they take. However, in our latest report, we want to urge the West to also focus on Winning the Peace and not just the war and to urgently step up its game and engage in planning of how to fund post war reconstruction of Ukraine

The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to gather a panel of experts to launch its latest report and discuss these pressing issues.

Dr Helena Ivanov is an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. She recently completed a PhD in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research focuses on the relationship between propaganda and violence against civilians. In her thesis, Helena examined the role propaganda played during the Yugoslav Wars and produced a model for studying propaganda which details the key phases, functions, discourses, and techniques of propaganda (the model itself is applicable to other contexts). Additionally, Helena also served as a Manager at the Centre for International Studies at the LSE.

Prior to her PhD, Helena completed an MPhil in Political Theory at the University of Oxford, and holds a BA in Politics from the University of Belgrade.

Marc Sidwell is Director of Research at The Henry Jackson Society. He has worked as a senior editor for the Telegraph and City A.M. and as publisher for the New Statesman. Marc has also written regularly for publications including Telegraph, The Critic, National Review and City A.M. He is a Senior Fellow at the New Culture Forum, and a graduate of Oxford and Warwick.

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Mark Sabah is the UK and EU Director at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, a global non-profit organisation that campaigns for Jimmy Lai, freedom in Hong Kong, and against the Chinese Communist Party.

Prior to joining the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, Mark spent six years at Hermitage Capital Management working with William Browder on the Magnitsky campaign, achieving the passage of the US Magnitsky Law in 2012 as well as working on numerous other laws, motions and debates across the globe to combat Russian money laundering and corruption. Mark also created the Sergei Magnitsky Human Rights Awards which were first held in 2015. Mark has worked with some of the best known communications agencies in the world including Edelman, Weber Shandwick and Grayling. Mark has a degree in International Politics from the Manchester Metropolitan University and a Masters Degree in International Political Affairs from the University of Hong Kong.

Chris Pleasance is a freelance global affairs journalist who spent 10 years at the Daily Mail Online and was previously their chief foreign reporter.

He began reporting on Ukraine in 2014 during Vladimir Putin’s first invasion, and has been covering the second invasion since February 2022. He has also reported extensively on the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, North Korea’s nuclear programme, American politics, European security and the Covid-19 pandemic.

His work concerns the ongoing war in Ukraine, the rise of China, American and European foreign policy, disinformation, global conflict, and nuclear weapons.

Elected as the MP for Selby and Ainsty in 2010, Nigel Adams has served in government as a Minister in six departments including as Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. His most recent ministerial position was in Cabinet under Boris Johnson as Minister without Portfolio.

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EVENT SUMMARY

The Henry Jackson Society was pleased to be invited by Nigel Adams MP into the House of Commons to host a discussion on our latest report: Winning the Peace: Why Britain and the West Must Act Now to Help Rebuild Ukraine. Nigel Adams MP chaired the panel which consisted of the two authors of the report, HJS’ Director of Research Marc Sidwell and research fellow Dr Helena Ivanov, alongside Chris Pleasance and Mark Sabah. Dr Ivanov started the discussion by outlining that the aim of this report is to analyse the extent of the cost of post-war reconstruction in Ukraine, and to highlight the dangers of Chinese involvement. She emphasised the importance of establishing clear and concrete Western-led plans for reconstruction as soon as possible. Marc Sidwell supported this point by stating that it should not be assumed that Ukraine and Zelensky will naturally turn to the West for financial aid in the aftermath of the war, and that Europe and the USA need to present a better alternative to the Ukrainian people than Chinese investment. Chris Pleasance agreed with this sentiment, adding that although Ukraine is positioning itself to join the EU after the war, if the EU itself is not forthcoming in providing financial aid, aims and ambitions will give way to reality on the ground and grant China the opportunity to fill the vacuum. Finally, Mark Sabah focused on China’s strategic aims regarding Ukraine, in particular its friendship with Putin’s Russia and general ignorance of international rules and norms. He emphasised that Western-led reconstruction is vital to halting the spread of authoritarianism.

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