Roundtable “Sanctions 2026: A New Strategy of Economic Pressure on Russia”

Date: 12 December, 10:00–11:30 (Kyiv time)

Location: Ukraine Crisis Media Center (UCMC) / online

Ukraine enters 2026 with a critical need to strengthen international sanctions pressure on the aggressor state. Delays in approving the reparations loan, the blocking of efforts to confiscate frozen Russian assets, and Russia’s active circumvention of existing sanctions all demonstrate that the global coalition of democracies must shift to a new, significantly tougher sanctions policy.

During the roundtable, leading Ukrainian and international experts will discuss the key challenges and decisions that should form the basis of the 2026 sanctions strategy. Particular attention will be given to the Asian geo-economy — China, South Korea, Taiwan, and the countries of Southeast Asia — without whose involvement the global system of deterring Russia will remain incomplete.

Key discussion topics:

• Priorities of the sanctions policy for 2026;

• Components of the EU’s 20th sanctions package;

• Closing channels for sanctions evasion and critical technology flows to Russia;

• Confiscation of frozen Russian assets: barriers and required decisions;

• Ending the transit of Russian oil through Ukraine;

• The role of Ukraine, the US, the EU, and Asian democracies in shaping a new architecture of pressure on the Kremlin.

Speakers:

Moderator — Hanna Hopko, Chair of the Board of the National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS.”

Ukrainian experts:

• Anastasia Radina — Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy (TBC);

• Oksana Ishchuk — Executive Director, Centre for Global Studies Strategy XXI;

• Illia Neskhodovskyi — Economist, Head of the Analytical Department at the National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS”;

• Olena Tregub — Executive Director, NAKO (Independent Anti-Corruption Commission);

• Olena Sas — Analyst of the Russian economy, strategic communications expert;

• Nataliya Butyrska — Associate Senior Analyst, New Europe Center;

• Yehor Ostapov — Analyst, National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS.

International participants:

• Hee-Seok Shin — Transitional Justice Working Group, South Korea;

• Sangmin Shim — Asan Institute for Policy Studies, South Korea;

• Poyu Tseng — Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee / Doublethink Lab, Taiwan.