On 16 May 2025, the Institute, in partnership with the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, hosted an event in Brussels to preview its latest Chaillot Paper: Unpowering Russia: How the EU Can Counter and Undermine the Kremlin.
Ahead of the official publication, participants were introduced to the concept of “unpowering”: the idea that the EU must go beyond deterrence and resilience to actively reduce Russia’s capacity to harm EU interests, through coordinated action across multiple regions and domains.
Opening remarks
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Weronika Frydryszek, Representative to the Political and Security Committee, Deputy Head of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU
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Steven Everts, EUISS Director
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Michael Siebert, Managing Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, European External Action Service (EEAS)
Presentation of the report
The strategic framework and key findings of the report were presented by Ondrej Ditrych, EUISS Senior Analyst and lead author of the Chaillot Paper.
Panel I – Unpowering Russia in the EU’s Neighbourhood
This panel focused on Russia’s influence in regions closest to the EU and how it can be countered.
Speakers:
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Bojana Zorić, Research Analyst for the Western Balkans, EUISS
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Katarzyna Sidło, Senior Analyst for the Middle East and North Africa, EUISS
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Marek Menkiszak, Head of the Russian Department, Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW)
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Audronė Perkauskienė, Deputy Managing Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, EEAS
Panel II – Unpowering Russia Globally
The second panel expanded the discussion to Russia’s global tactics and EU responses in key geopolitical arenas.
Speakers:
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Tim Rühlig, Senior Analyst for Global China, EUISS
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Rossella Marangio, Senior Analyst for EU–Africa Relations, EUISS
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Hans Kribbe, Senior Fellow for Geostrategy, Brussels Institute for Geopolitics (BIG)
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David Ringrose, Head of Division, GLOBAL.GI.2 – Connectivity and Digital Transition, EEAS
Closing Remarks
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Agnieszka Legucka, Deputy Director of the Department of Strategy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
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Anna Kostrzewa-Misztal, Deputy Director of the Eastern Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
