On 7 September 2026, more than 200 people joined us at Europe House in London and online for “Ukraine and the Future of Europe: Unity, Security, Democracy”.
The European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK organised the event together with the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine.
Moderated by the BBC’s Olga Malchevska, the debate brought together Ukrainian MPs Vadym Halaichuk and Lesia Vasylenko, UK MP Ben Coleman, and MEPs Mika Aaltola (Finland), Klara Dobrev (Hungary) and Sandro Gozi (France). Leena Maria Linnus, Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK, welcomed participants.
The discussion covered European security and defence, continued support for Ukraine, democratic resilience, and the role parliamentarians and citizens can play in shaping the future of Ukraine and Europe.
A partnership for democracy
The Westminster Alliance for Ukraine is a flagship programme of the Defending Democracy Global Initiative (DDGI).
This civil-society-led platform brings together parliamentarians, civil society, institutions and independent media to resist authoritarianism, disinformation and hybrid threats. New Europeans is part of this work through the New European People’s Forum (NEPF), which co-founded DDGI with Media Dialogue (Germany) and CIVIL – Center for Freedom (North Macedonia).
The initiative grew out of an international conference in Skopje in December 2024. The participants shared a conviction: the task is no longer simply to promote democracy, but to defend it. Since then, DDGI has:
* published its report Defending Democracy and Human Rights: Report and Policy Recommendations* launched the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine in the UK House of Commons in May 2025
* started the Eyes on Democracy podcast
* held events in Rome and Skopje, with Berlin planned for later this year and Kyiv in 2027
— Roger Casale, founder of New Europeans and co-founder of the Defending Democracy Global Initiative
Why this matters for New Europeans
New Europeans has always believed that Europe’s future is shaped by its citizens. Disinformation targets citizens directly, and so do threats to free media and attacks on rights. Defending democracy is the natural next step in our work, from championing citizens’ rights to building a Europe in which everyone belongs.
The New European People’s Forum, re-established in Berlin in 2026 under the motto “Shaping Europe from Ground Up”, gives that work a permanent European home.
Get involved
- Watch the full debate on YouTube Democracy, Ukraine and the future of Europe
- Read DDGI’s report on the discussions at defendingdemocracy.global.
- Become a Friend of New Europeans and support our work on citizens’ rights, democracy and a stronger Europe. Join here
Welcome to Friends of New Europeans 2.0: Shaping Europe's Future, Together
