The Battle of Narratives is Playing Out in CEE

Joe Biden surprises Kyiv and will visit Poland. Biden’s meeting with NATO’s eastern flank leaders is not only an acknowledgement of eastward power shift but also that the CEE region has become a narrative battleground with Putin’s neo-fascist dictatorship.

This week on Visegrad Insight:

• Hybrid Online Event: War and the Future of Europe with St Antony’s College, Oxford. A discussion for subscribers who register on 21 February 2023, 2 PM GMT 2 PM (CET).
• Vitaly Portnikov writes how the perceptions of Ukrainians towards the West have changed from before the invasion.
• Authors from our Russian Invasion report reflect on the current threat perceptions and how the war will affect Europe going forward.
• Ramūnas Stanionis aruges that enlargement could be a window of opportunity for the EU.

EU/REGIONAL

• Joe Biden is visiting Poland on 20-22 February. Biden’s speech in Warsaw is expected to unveil new plans for the eastern flank of NATO and setting grounds for a battle of narratives with Putin, especially in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe.
• Biden is scheduled to attend the meeting with the Bucharest Nine (B9) leaders in Warsaw in an expression of support for the B9’s critical stance towards Russian aggression in Ukraine.
• Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address the Duma on 21 February to deliver his state of the nation address.
• EU Foreign Affairs Council chaired by Josep Borell is taking place on 20 February. The Ministers’ agenda includes exchange of views on Russian aggression against Ukraine following an informal exchange with Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba or exchange of views on climate and energy diplomacy.
• The EU General Affairs Council on 21 February will discuss preparation for the European Council meeting on 23-24 March, and is expected to discuss the deadly earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
• The 59th Munich Security Conference held on 17-19 February as US Vice-President Kamala Harris said Russia committed “crimes against humanity” in its aggression against Ukraine, and Antony Blinke warned China’s top diplomat Wang Yu of consequences should China move closer to supply Russian with weapons and support its military efforts.
• G-20 meeting to be held on 24-25 February in Bengaluru, India, and will bring together finance ministers and central bank governors.  
• The European Commission presents 10th package of sanctions against Russia. The European Commission has proposed further export bans worth more than 11 billion euro to deprive the Russian economy of critical technology and industrial goods Russia needs, EC’s President Ursula von der Leyen stated.
• Strong Support. The European Parliament on 16 February adopted a resolution with a  call for providing Ukraine with military aid for as long as necessary.

Biden makes a surprise visit to Kyiv amid the sound of air sirens

UKRAINE