The war in Ukraine continues relentlessly and stubbornly. A military approach is being prioritized, while diplomacy and peaceful initiatives are sidelined.

Even if hostilities were halted through “transactional” mediation in the near term, the risk of renewed conflict would persist, and the conditions necessary for long-term stability and prosperity would remain frozen.

The “The Alliance for Dialogue” is launching a six-part series of online Dialogue Sessions to

• catalyze a shift from the current predominantly military and transactional mindsets toward diplomacy and dialogue;
• advocate for convening an intergovernmental conference aimed at restoring the foundations of pan-European security and stability in an emerging multipolar world order.
  Read more: Initiative “Dialogue for...

Executive Summary

The discussion challenged the premise that diplomacy itself is failing, arguing instead that its perceived weakness reflects deeper structural problems in global politics, governance, and society. Diplomacy was widely described as a tool or service function, whose effectiveness depends on political will, power dynamics, and the broader international environment.

Summary

Following up on the panel discussion, the reflection group meeting intended to explore in more depth what we actually mean by diplomacy, what limitations it faces in the current world order, what difficulties affect dialogue during an ongoing war, and what role academia, education, and civil/citizen diplomacy can play in this context.

The war in Ukraine continues relentlessly and stubbornly. Insecurity grows in the broader European neighbourhood. Countries are re-militarizing and governments have begun to prepare their populations for the possibility of a major war.