The Wagner leader’s actions have dramatically weakened Vladimir Putin’s personal authority and his grip on power.
The pillars of the system that supported Putin’s rule for over two decades simply buckled on 24–25 June, put to the test by around 10,000 armed Wagner mercenaries.
As Ukraine continues to fight to liberate its occupied territories and eject Russian invaders, its Western backers debate the likely endgame for the war and its aftermath. The international response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while impressive in many ways, remains inadequate to the task and dangerously wobbly.
This conference’s goal is to find ways to shape a better-than-ever, fully reconstructed Ukraine, once peace is achieved but starting right now.
Ukraine’s recovery requires enormous human and financial resources and will impact every sphere of public life.
How government, citizens and donors can work together to embed trust in reconstruction
Over the past decade, Ukraine has shown that successful cooperation between state and citizens can deliver highly effective structural reforms. Building on this record, the country’s government and international partners now need to work with Ukraine’s civil society organizations (CSOs) to develop a clear framework that enables citizens and communities to play a full role in recovery planning, oversight and implementation.
Episode 29 of our weekly podcast examines the influence of the shadowy paramilitary organization Wagner Group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.