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Roundtable XXI: Assessing the Human Resources of Ukraine’s Armed Forces

DATE

October 21-22 2020

EVENT

UA Quest for Mature Nation Statehood Roundtable XXI: took place on October 21-22 2020 as a ZOOM Webinar. The conference was the last in a critically important trilogy of UA Quest RT gatherings (2018-20) essentially dedicated to evaluating Ukraine’s military preparedness, particularly in the face of the ongoing occupation of Crimea and ongoing aggression in Donbas by the nation’s northern neighbor. The primary focus of the event centered on examining the state of readiness of the general personnel in Ukraine’s land, sea and air/air defense forces as well as the capabilities of the senior officers of the said forces.

SPEAKERS

Steven Blank

Philip Breedlove
Wesley Clark
Luke Coffey
William Courtney
Oleksiy Danilov
John Herbst
Glen Howard
Ben Hodges
Ihor Kabanenko
Phillip Karber
Borys Kremenetsky

Jeffrey Magram
Robert McConnell
Mark Montgomery
Viktor Muzhenko
Herman Pirchner
James Sherr
Jill Sinclair
William Schneider Jr.
Robert Swertfager
Vitalijus Vaiksnoras
Volodymyr Yelchenko
Andriy Zahorodniuk

SPONSORS

American Foreign Policy Council
Center for US-Ukrainian Relations
International Republican Institute
National Democratic Institute
Open World Leadership Center
Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
Ukrainian National Information Service
US-Ukraine Foundation
      
PATRONS

Cleveland Selfreliance Federal Credit Union
Heritage Foundation of the First Security Federal Savings Bank
Illinois Division of the UCCA
Jurkiw Family Foundation
Self Reliance New York Federal Credit Union
Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union
SUMA (Yonkers) Federal Credit Union
Ukrainian National Association

STEERING COMMITTEE

Ilan Berman
Motryia Chaban
Andrij Dobriansky
Katie Fox
Andrew Futey
Tamara Gallo-Olexy
Mykola Hryckowian
Laura Jewett
Lewis Madanick
Steven Nix
Herman Pirchner
Mykhailo Sawkiw
Walter Zaryckyj

PROCEEDINGS/PRESENTATIONS

 

PRESS/PRESS RELEASES

https://twitter.com/annie_swingen/status/1316513216672002060

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3123943-ukraine-us-hold-ukraines-quest-for-mature-nation-roundtable-conference.html

 

PROGRAM


Ukraine’s Quest for Mature Nation Statehood 

Roundtable XXI: 

Assessing the Human Resources of Ukraine’s Armed Forces October 21-22, 2020 Webinar Variant 

Venue: Zoom Webinar  

Day 1 – Oct 21  

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Word of Welcome – Ambassador of Ukraine to the US HE Volodymyr Yelchenko 

10:45 AM – 11:20 AM Roundtable Highlight Focus Session I 

Theme: The General State of Preparedness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces – Government of Ukraine Status Report 

Chair: 

John Herbst [EAC Director/Atlantic Council of the United States] 

Featured Speaker: 

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danylov 

11:20 AM – 12:40 PM Roundtable Plenary Session I 

Theme: One if By Land’- Taking Measure of Ukraine’s Ground Forces  

Moderator: 

William Courtney [BLF Executive Director/RAND Corporation] 

Panelists: 

Andriy Zahorodniuk [Minister of Defense of Ukraine 2019-2020] 

Lt. Gen. (ret.) Ben Hodges [Commander/US Armed Forces Europe 2014-2017] 

Lead Discussant: 

Luke Coffey [Allison Center Director/Heritage Foundation]  

Suggested Topics:  

Speakers’ Choice 

12:40 PM – 2:00 PM Roundtable Plenary Session II 

Theme: ‘Two if By Sea’- Taking Measure of Ukraine’s Maritime Forces  

Moderator: 

James Sherr OBE, [Associate Fellow/Royal Institute of International Affairs -Chatham House] 

Panelists: 

Admiral (ret.) Ihor Kabanenko [Former Chief of Naval Operations/Former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine]  Rear Adm. (ret.) [Former  

Lead Discussant: 

Glen Howard [President/Jamestown Foundation] 

Suggested Topics:  

Speakers’ Choice 

    

Day 2 – Oct 22  

10:00 AM – 10:35 AM Highlight Focus Session II 

Theme: The General State of Preparedness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces – Of What Significance to NATO? 

Chair: 

Robert McConnell [Co-Founder/US-Ukraine Foundation] 

Featured Speaker: 

Gen. (ret.) Phillip Breedlove [Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO 2013-2016] 10:35 AM – 11:55 AM Roundtable Plenary Session III 

Theme: ‘What if by Air’– Taking Measure of Ukraine’s Air & Air Defenses Forces  

Moderator: 

Steven Blank {Senior Fellow/United States Institute of Peace] 

Panelists: 

Maj. Gen. Borys Kremenetsky [Defense Attache/Embassy of Ukraine to the United States] 

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Magram [Deputy Commander/California Air National Guard] 

Lead Discussant: 

Phillip Karber [President/Potomac Foundation] 

Suggested Topics:  

Speakers’ Choice 

11:55 AM – 1:15 PM Roundtable Plenary Session IV 

Theme: Evaluating the Capabilities of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 

Moderator:  

Maj Gen (Ret.) Vitalijus Vaikšnoras [Chief of the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 2016-2019] 

Panelists: 

Gen. (ret.) Viktor Muzhenko [Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 2014-2019]  Gen. (ret.) Wesley Clark [Supreme NATO Commander 1997-2001] 

Lead Discussant: 

Jill Sinclair [Executive Director/External Engagement and Partnerships/Canadian Defence Academy] 

Suggested Topics:  

Speakers’ Choice 

1:15 PM – 1:50 PM Final Highlight Session Focus Session/Closing Remarks  

Theme: The General State of Preparedness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces – Of What Significance to the United States? 

Chair: 

Herman Pirchner [President/American Foreign Policy Council] 

Featured Speaker: 

• William Schneider Jr. [Under Secretary of State SA/AT1982-1986; Chair/US Defense Science Board 2001-2009] 

 

1:50 PM – 2:00 PM Word of Thanks – Ukrainian Congress Committee President Andrew Futey