Cafe Kyiv: #Learn2Ukraine. From Reactive Support to Strategic Deterrence

Dear colleagues and friends,

We warmly invite you to our panel discussion #Learn2Ukraine: From Reactive Support to Strategic Deterrence. The event takes place on 23 February 2026, from 16:00 to 16:45, as part of Café Kyiv at Colosseum Berlin, KINO 4.

The outcome of the war in Ukraine will shape European security dynamics for the next decade. Whether Europe emerges more secure or more vulnerable depends directly on actions taken today.

Under conditions of existential threat, Ukraine has transformed itself into one of the most adaptive defense ecosystems in the world. Beyond battlefield innovation — particularly in air defense integration, drone warfare, and rapid technological iteration — Ukraine has demonstrated agile organizational structures and close cooperation between the military, industry, and civil society.

This panel will discuss

• Which structural elements of Ukraine’s defense readiness and innovation model are transferable to European contexts?
• How can European states move from reactive, incremental support toward a strategic approach that links Ukraine’s defence with long-term European deterrence?
• What concrete steps must be taken in 2026 to ensure protection of Ukrainian cities and civil infrastructure, enable sustainable peace for Ukraine, and strengthen Europe’s own security posture?

About the panelists

Lesia Orobets is the founder of the Price of Freedom initiative, advocating for strengthening Ukraine's air defence and enhancing collective security. She is a former member of the parliament of Ukraine.

Dr. John Karlsrud is Research Professor and Head of the Research group on peace, conflict and development at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and co-leader of NUPI's Ukraine Centre. John is the author of the report Europe's choice Military and economic scenarios for the War in Ukraine and leads the project Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine Tracker.

Marcus Welsch is a freelance analyst, documentary filmmaker, and publicist. Since 2014, he has specialized in OSINT journalism and data analysis, focusing on the Russian war against Ukraine, military and foreign policy issues, and the German public discourse. Since November 2024, he publishes the Ukraine Air War Monitor in cooperation with Kyiv Dialogue and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Since 2015, he has been running the data and analysis platform Perspectus Analytics.

This panel takes place in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Kyiv Office.