Geostrategic Europe

To mark the start of the six-month EU presidency, historic buildings across France were illuminated in the blue of the EU flag on New Year's Eve, including the Elysee Palace and the Eiffel Tower. In a televised address, French president Emanuel Macron said, "You can count on my complete commitment to ensure that this period, which comes around every 13 years, is a time of progress for you."  He listed the top priorities for the French presidency, including border control, European defence, climate change and gender equality.

In this episode of Global Europe Unpacked, produced in collaboration with the City of The Hague, Will Murray speaks to Brian Mefford – a long-time observer of Ukraine, based in Kiev – about the state of the rule of law in Ukraine and the biggest challenges it faces; how it is affected by Russian interference; and what more could be done by the country’s Western partners to support and promote the rule of law there. Will then speaks to the vice-president of the Ukrainian National Bar Association, Dr Valentyn Gvozdiy, about what his institution does to support the rule of law in Ukraine; his perspective on the issues that Ukraine faces; and what he believes Ukraine can offer the EU when it comes to justice and the rule of law.