At the International Conference “Defending Democracy: Battlefield of Truth”, held at the Hotel Continental in Skopje, North Macedonia, political leaders, journalists, civil society representatives, and educators from across Europe gathered to discuss the challenges of defending democratic values in the face of disinformation, hybrid warfare, and authoritarian threats.
Deputy Director of CSI, Emanuele Erichiello, recaling the high-level event in Rome last week, said that meeting was important to understand where we stand in terms of European support to Ukraine, and also in terms of understanding what we will do and what the national efforts are in Germany, in the UK, in Italy, in France in terms of supporting Ukraine, like concrete national efforts, both at the parliamentary and at the government level.
Opening Remarks by Emanuele Erichiello
First of all, let me say how truly pleased we are to be partners in this important initiative, and thank you very much for bringing us on board. We were delighted to organize the event that took place last Friday in Rome, which gathered Italian MPs and Senators — among them our good friends Roger and Javier, as well as Senator Emanuele Loperfido and Filippo Sensi, a Member of the Chamber of Deputies. Both are deeply engaged in European and foreign affairs, with Filippo focusing specifically on human rights and conflict issues.
We were also honored to welcome senior representatives from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, including Francesco Tuffarelli, Director General and currently one of the highest-ranking officials in the Prime Minister’s Office, with a long-standing experience in European affairs.
Alongside them, we had participation from leading experts and think tanks — including Istituto Affari Internazionali, represented by Nona Mikheliedze, and Professor Ida Caracciolo, from the University of Naples, who also serves as a judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Of course, we were joined by the main promoters of this initiative, Roger and Jabir, from the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine. Thanks to their efforts, we also had the pleasure of hearing the position of the United Kingdom, represented by its Political Counsellor.
It was an excellent opportunity for an open exchange — bringing together parliamentarians, government officials, academics, and experts — to engage in meaningful discussion on European and international support for Ukraine. Following that event, we were also invited to a closed-door roundtable with the German Minister for European Affairs, which provided valuable insight into where we currently stand regarding European support for Ukraine and what concrete national efforts are underway in Germany, the UK, Italy, and France — both at parliamentary and governmental levels.
Both events offered us a first-hand understanding of the real-world situation and the kind of support that is needed — and that we must continue to provide. It was truly our pleasure to host such an initiative in Rome.
Let me keep this brief — as I said in London and repeated in Rome — extraordinary situations require extraordinary responses. That is the key message I wish to share today.
The world is changing. The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a profound shift in the international order — what I would call an international reordering. We must remain united and act decisively in support of Ukraine — not only because it is in Ukraine’s interest, but because it is in Europe’s vital interest. As Europeans, it is our moral and political duty to stand by the Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom and sovereignty.
This support must be comprehensive — military, of course, but also societal. We must help Ukraine’s civil society recover and rebuild, through partnerships with organizations, academia, and civil actors.
There is no time for hesitation or endless debate over procedural details. We must use the tools we have, including the coalition of the willing, to operate flexibly — beyond the limits of EU treaties when necessary — alongside our non-EU partners and allies such as the United Kingdom and others who are essential to Ukraine’s defense and recovery.
This effort, in my view, can serve as an experiment in effective European security cooperation — one that could evolve into a lasting framework, with Ukraine as a full and victorious member.
So yes — extraordinary measures for extraordinary times.
Allow me to close with words once spoken by Mario Draghi, former Prime Minister of Italy and President of the European Central Bank.
“No matter what, we must act. The world is changing — and we cannot just stand by. Let’s do something, and let’s do it together.”
This initiative — bringing together experts, academia, think tanks, MPs, and governments — is precisely what we need right now to develop effective, collective measures in support of Ukraine.
The panel was held as part of the international conference “Defending Democracy: Battlefield of Truth”, organized within the framework of the project “Democratic Navigator”, with the support of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.