Participants

Donnacha Ó Beacháin²; Yuliya Yurchenko⁴; Ostap Kushnir¹; Laurence Broers³; Sofya du Boulay⁵;  ¹ University of Portsmouth, UK;  ² Dublin City University, Ireland;  ³ Chatham House, UK;  ⁴ University of Greenwich , UK;  ⁵ Ala-Too International University, Kyrgyzstan

Discussion

The roundtable will be devoted to an examination of the themes in Donnacha Ó Beacháin’s book “Unfinished Empire: Russian Imperialism in Ukraine and the Near Abroad” (Agenda, 2025). This book raises several key questions regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its broader historical and geopolitical implications, including the following:

What does Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reveal about its internal dynamics and imperial ambitions?

The disproportionate impact on non-Russian ethnic minorities, with fewer ethnic Russians at the front, hints at Russia's own internal colonial practices. What does this say about Russia’s approach to governance and its treatment of its diverse population?

How has the invasion affected Russia's international standing and influence in neighbouring regions?

Rather than elevating the Kremlin's status globally, the conflict has triggered distrust and defiance within its traditional sphere of influence. How has this affected Russia’s relationships and perceived power both regionally and globally?

How does Russia’s current stance on Ukraine fit into its historical pattern of imperial expansion?

The panel will explore the role imperialism has played in shaping Russia’s historical trajectory and its perception of neighbouring states.

In what ways has the legacy of Soviet-era imperialism influenced modern Russian policies?

How has this legacy persisted in Russian policy, particularly in how Russia exercises control over its “near-abroad” (sections devoted to Belarus, Moldova, South Caucasus and Central Asia)?

How has the current conflict redefined the EU’s and NATO’s roles in Europe?

How are these entities responding to the crisis, and what changes could shape future EU-NATO relationships with Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia?

What broader geopolitical shifts does Russia’s re-imperialisation drive indicate?

How is this ambition impacting global security dynamics, and what role does the EU’s limited military power play in responding to it?

This panel will delve into the historical, ideological, and geopolitical underpinnings of Russia's contemporary foreign policy, posing critical questions about Russia’s role in global affairs and its ambitions in the post-Soviet region.

The panel devised to discuss these issues include the book's author and several regional experts.