On 15 June 2011, the Centre for Political and Foreign Affairs (CPFA) in Paris hosted Leonid Kuchma, the 2nd President of Ukraine, for a high-level discussion moderated by Renaud Girard. The event gathered a limited number of diplomats, policymakers, and experts for an intimate exchange on Ukraine’s political trajectory and its place in the shifting balance of European and regional affairs.

President Kuchma, who served from 1994 to 2005, addressed the dilemmas of Ukraine’s post-Soviet transformation, including the consolidation of democratic institutions, economic reform, and the strategic balancing act between Russia and the European Union. His intervention offered insights into the structural challenges Ukraine faced as it sought to define its sovereignty and security in a contested geopolitical environment.

Among the select participants was Victor Pinchuk, Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist, whose presence underscored the links between politics, economics, and civil society in shaping Ukraine’s future. By convening this limited lunch in Paris, CPFA reaffirmed its mission of fostering candid and high-level dialogue on issues of international consequence.