Event Summary
Where Are We with Ending the War? MSC Advisory Council Meets on the Sidelines of the YES Conference in Kyiv
For the first time ever, the MSC Advisory Council convened abroad, on the sidelines of the YES Annual Meeting 2025 in wartime Kyiv. The conference gathered international leaders to explore pathways toward ending the war in Ukraine. Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger moderated a high-level panel exploring what stands in the way of peace, what progress has been made, and what steps are still required.
YES Annual Meeting 2025
The Yalta European Strategy (YES) Annual Meeting 2025, held in Kyiv on September 12-13 under the theme “How to End the War”, brought together over 800 leading politicians, diplomats, business leaders, members of the Ukrainian armed forces, veterans, civil society representatives, and experts from more than 30 countries. Among the participants were members of the MSC Advisory Council as well as Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger.
Discussion about Where Are We with Ending the War?
As part of the main program of the YES Annual Meeting, Ambassador Ischinger and Trey Yingst (Fox News Channel) co-moderated a panel with the Assistant to the US President and Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, and the National Security Advisors from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. The discussion centered around one question: “Where are we with ending the war?”
As a leading forum for discussing Ukraine’s European future and global role, YES connects Ukraine to international partners, supports forces for change in the country, and builds networks of supporters for a new Ukraine worldwide.
Copyright: YES
First MSC Advisory Council Meeting Abroad
For the first time ever, the MSC Advisory Council met abroad — notably in a country at war that needs the support of its allies more than ever. Led by its Co-Chairs Chrystia Freeland and Paul Achleitner, the MSC Advisory Council helps maintain and advance the high quality of the MSC's work by advising the MSC's leadership on strategic decisions, thematic focus, and partnership development.
The meeting in Kyiv marked a significant moment for the Advisory Council and provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on possible ways forward in addressing the ongoing war.
Ambassador Ischinger’s Key Takeaways
In a subsequent interview with RBC-Ukraine, Ambassador Ischinger reflected on the current situation in Ukraine and emphasized three key takeaways for the way forward in ending the war:
Increasing Pressure on Russia: The international community should maintain and, where possible, expand both financial and military pressure, including through more comprehensive sanctions and coordinated responses to provocations.
Unlocking Frozen Assets: Russia’s frozen assets could be used to provide Ukraine with additional financial support, with experts noting that any wider impact on global markets would likely be manageable.
The Porcupine Strategy: Strengthening Ukraine’s defensive capabilities offers a realistic way to deter further aggression, with emphasis placed on modern systems, such as drones, to raise the costs of invasion.
