Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2247
Stream live here
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated Ukraine’s demographic struggle from a long-term challenge to an existential crisis. Prewar Ukraine, like other countries, contended with falling birth rates, outmigration, and a consistently high mortality rate. Since 2022, Russia has killed over 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians, maimed and taken prisoner thousands more, and kidnapped more than 20,000 children. About 5.2 million Ukrainians have fled the country to seek safety abroad.
As Russia wages its genocidal war against Ukraine, Ukrainians have placed human life at the center of their national defense and societal response. Ukraine’s government has adopted a reconstruction strategy aimed at increasing the birth rate and encouraging remigration while rejuvenating its economy. However, questions remain about Ukraine’s ability to attract and reintegrate refugees living abroad and members of the armed forces returning from years-long deployments. Despite these outstanding challenges, Ukraine’s allies experiencing demographic crises independent of full-scale war can learn from Ukraine’s prioritization of human life.
This briefing will examine the severity of Ukraine’s crisis, the government and civil society response, and implications for reconstruction and development. Panelists will also examine how allies can best support Ukrainians in rebuilding postwar.
Panelists:
Daniel Balson, Director of Advocacy, Razom for Ukraine
Romina Bandura, Senior Fellow with the Project on Prosperity and Development, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute
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