The Impact of Four Years of Warfare on Ukraine

About the Workshop

Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine recently entered its fifth year. The effects of the war in both countries cannot be fully assessed until the conflict ends, but at this point there is no doubt that four years of warfare — the largest European conflict since 1945 — have produced far-reaching changes in Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and Western organizations. 

This workshop focuses on the changes the war has already brought about in Ukraine in several crucial areas:  (1) politics and state-building; (2) the international position of the country; (3) the army and defense industry; (4) the economy; (5) religions and languages; and (6) demography. Leaders of their respective fields will discuss the nature of these changes, and their presentations will be reviewed by designated commentators and then debated in two general, open sessions. 

IN-PERSON and ONLINE via Zoom Webinar (live). Registration is required to attend online. In-person seating will be first-come, first-served.

This is the 2026 Petro Jacyk Symposium in Ukrainian Studies, convened by the current Jacyk Distinguished Fellow, Andrea Graziosi. This event is part of a two-part series examining the effects of the ongoing war: the first about the impacts on Ukraine, organized by the Ukrainian Research Institute, and the second about the changes within the Russian Federation, organized by the Davis Center. For more information on the second installment, please visit the Davis Center's website.

Program Schedule

Please note, this program is subject to change.

Morning Session

9:15 am 
Opening Remarks - Terry Martin and Andrea Graziosi

9:30 am - 10:00 am
POLITICS AND IDEOLOGY
     Presenter: Paul D'Anieri, University of California, Riverside
     Discussant: Andrea Graziosi, Università di Napoli Federico II and Harvard University

10:00 am - 10:50 am
FOREIGN RELATIONS AND POSITIONING
     Presenter: Ambassador John Herbst, Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center
     Presenter: Sergey Radchenko, Johns Hopkins University
     Discussant: Serhii Plokhii, Harvard University

10:50 am - 11:10 am 
COFFEE BREAK

11:10 am - 11:40 am (in-person only)
ARMED FORCES
     Presenter: Michael Kofman, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
     Discussant: Terry Martin, Harvard University

11:40 am - 12:45 pm
GENERAL DISCUSSION
     Panel: Paul D'Anieri, Ambassador John Herbst, Sergey Radchenko, and Michael Kofman
     Moderated by Serhii Plokhii

Afternoon Session

2:15 pm - 2:45 pm
RELIGION AND LANGUAGE
     Presenter: Oxana Shevel, Tufts University
     Discussant: Catherine Wanner, Pennsylvania State University (online)

2:45 pm - 3:15 pm
ECONOMIC IMPACT
     Presenter: Vladyslav Rashkovan, International Monetary Fund (online)
     Discussant: Mark Kramer, Harvard University

3:15 pm - 3:45 pm
DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION MOVEMENTS
     Presenter: Nataliia Levchuk, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research and Mykhailo Ptukha Institute for Demography and Life Quality Research (online)
     Discussant: Oleh Wolowyna, University of North Carolina (online)

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm
GENERAL DISCUSSION
     Panel: Oxana Shevel, Vladyslav Rashkovan, and Oleh Wolowyna
     Moderated by Mark Kramer

4:45 pm 
Closing Remarks - Serhii Plokhii and Mark Kramer