On November 2, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute hosted a roundtable discussion in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, featuring special guests Dr. Ulrich Blum of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and MLI senior fellow Dr. Christian Leuprecht.
A special presentation was made by Dr. Blum on the geo-political history of Ukraine and the economic interests fueling Russia’s current war of aggression. The presentation pointed to Ukraine as a source of mineral wealth that would be crucial to any future energy transition away from carbon sources.
The ensuing discussion, brought together academics, Embassy communities, and experts in the fields of energy, raw materials, security, and geopolitics, and was moderated by Dr. Balkan Devlen, senior fellow and Director of the Atlantic Program at MLI.
Attendees discussed how the war in Ukraine could be concluded while ensuring that the entirity of Ukraine’s sovereign borders are secured, and the importance of maintaining continued support for Ukraine in the long-term. The discussion came to a conclusion, following a round of questions for Dr. Ulrich.