Dear all:

The Economic Security Intelligence Lab (ESIL) at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo, is pleased to co-host a brown bag lunch seminar (please feel free to bring your own lunch) with the Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies (ICAS), Temple University Japan titled:

Ukraine and Japan in a Fragmenting Security Order:

with Visiting Ukrainian experts and the former Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, reached its fourth year in February 2026. This invasion remains an ongoing, protracted conflict that raises fundamental questions not only about European security, but also about the international legal order and the global balance of power. The war has laid bare both cooperation and division among major powers, and countries in Asia--including Japan--are being challenged to determine how they should respond. While the Japanese government has demonstrated solidarity with Ukraine through diplomatic and material support, it is also being compelled to reassess its strategic approach within a changing international order.
For Japan, the invasion of Ukraine has spurred a dramatic recalculation of its defense posture and its place in the world. Asian democracies quickly began to view Ukraine not as a distant case, but as a relevant security mirror. Particularly as traditional security guarantors such as the United States recalibrate their global role, Japan is being called upon to assume greater responsibility on the world stage. These debates intersect with broader concerns relevant to Japan and other partners, including energy security, economic resilience, supply-chain dependencies, and challenges to the rule-based international order. Ukraine's experience--both in resisting military aggression and in adapting its security, technological, and information strategies--offers valuable lessons for democracies facing persistent hybrid threats across Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
This seminar will welcome leading Ukrainian experts and a former ambassador to examine these issues from multiple perspectives. The discussion will explore how Japan and Ukraine can learn from one another and strengthen the security and resilience of both regions.

【 Event Details】

Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Time: 12:00-13:30 (Registration begins at 11:30)
Language: English
Venue: Mezzanine 2nd floor Conference Room, Building #3, Komaba II Campus, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

【Registration Link】

【 Speaker bio】

Dr. Hanna Shelest currently serves as Director of the Ukrainian think tank Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism." She has previously worked as a Senior Researcher at the National Institute for Strategic Studies under the Office of the President of Ukraine, and has been actively engaged internationally, including as a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis in the United States. Dr. Shelest will offer insights into the strategic thinking of the Ukrainian government, the adaptation of its security policies, and the role of expert networks in shaping international responses.
Amb. Sergiy Korsunsky is the former Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan from 2020 to 2024 and is currently affiliated with Temple University Japan. He will share a diplomatic perspective on Ukraine-Japan bilateral relations and the development of support frameworks between the two countries.
Mr. Dmytro Shulga is European Programme Director at the Ukrainian think tank International Renaissance Foundation. He will provide analysis from the perspective of European integration and international cooperation, focusing on Ukraine's relations with the European Union, developments in the Black Sea region, and the role of civil society.

【 Moderator】

Maya Sobchuk, Project Academic Specialist, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo

We look forward to your participation and constructive engagement in this important conversation.
Best Regards,
Maya

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Maya Sobchuk
Project Academic Specialist,
Economic Security Intelligence Lab (ESIL),
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST),
The University of Tokyo
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