‘Polarus’ in the making: How the Polish government is learning from Russia
The Law and Justice party is learning from Vladimir Putin’s regime. And ordinary Poles are learning how to oppose it
Experts & Staff
Joanna Hosa
ECFR Alumni · Policy Fellow
Areas of expertise
Euro-Atlantic security, Ukraine, the Arctic
Languages
Polish, English, French, German, Russian, basic Ukrainian
Biography
Joanna Hosa was a policy fellow with the Wider Europe programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Before moving to Montreal, she worked as the deputy director of the programme.
Her main areas of interest currently include security, conflict resolution, the Arctic, Russian foreign policy, and Ukrainian foreign policy.
Prior to joining ECFR, Joanna worked on democratisation, conflict prevention, human rights, and peacebuilding policies for EU institutions, think-tanks, and civil society organisations in Brussels and Paris. She held a range of positions at the European Commission, the European Union Institute for Security Studies, the Open Society European Policy Institute, the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, and the International Federation on Human Rights. She is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and the College of Europe.
The coronavirus crisis: An opportunity to mend Polish-Ukrainian relations
The Polish government would do well to recognise the value of Ukrainian workers, while the Ukrainian government should acknowledge that the Polish state cares for Ukrainians during these trying times
The coronavirus in Eastern Europe: Avoiding another Chernobyl
Eastern Europe has so far not seen an outbreak of the coronavirus as severe as that in the west of the continent. But the situation…
Trump’s Ukrainegate could help Ukraine
The US president's impeachment process ensures Ukraine stays on the radar of Americans – and this may work to Ukraine's advantage
Zelensky unchained: What Ukraine’s new political order means for its future
Introduction Volodymyrska Hill, Kyiv, on a June evening in 2019. Kyivans and tourists stroll along the riverside park’s newly relaid paths, many wending their way…
Ukraine’s broadening horizons
Zelensky's visit to Turkey signals the growing importance of Turkish-Ukrainian relations
Ukraine’s experiment with trust
Trust is a scarce resource in Ukrainian politics. Could a TV president be the one to deliver it in the upcoming elections?
Polish cities against hatred and violence
The murder of the mayor of Gdansk is an urgent reminder of the need to overcome violence and divisions in our society
Strategy on ice: Has Russia already won the scramble for the Arctic?
Russia has already – literally – staked its claim to vast tracts of the Arctic, and now China is looking northward too. Can other countries catch up when they are already so far behind?
Four things to know ahead of the NATO Summit
Our experts pick out four main topics to pay attention to ahead of the NATO Summit in Brussels
Publications
The bear beneath the ice: Russia’s ambitions in the Arctic
Russia is rapidly developing—and militarising—its Arctic territory as a strategic priority, even amid its war on Ukraine. Add Trump’s coveting of Greenland to the mix, and the next confrontation in Europe could be in its High North
Feeling the chill: Navigating Arctic governance amid Russia’s war on Ukraine
As Russia’s war on Ukraine highlights the Arctic’s geostrategic importance and disrupts its governance formats, European governments need to prioritise cooperation with each other and with the region’s indigenous peoples
The young and the restless: Europe, Russia, and the next generation of diplomats in the Eastern Partnership
Young diplomats in Eastern Partnership countries are optimistic and pro-European. Many of them want the EU to become a bolder geopolitical actor
Zelensky unchained: What Ukraine’s new political order means for its future
Introduction Volodymyrska Hill, Kyiv, on a June evening in 2019. Kyivans and tourists stroll along the riverside park’s newly relaid paths, many wending their way…
Articles
Questions of sovereignty: Canada’s relations with Europe after the general election
Europeans should begin seeking new opportunities to work with Canada under Mark Carney
Unity at risk: The domestic strife testing Canada’s commitment to Ukraine
Canada’s support for Ukraine is becoming intertwined with domestic political competition, raising questions about the steadfastness of one of Kyiv’s main supporters
The dam has burst: How Russia’s war on Ukraine could make ecocide an international crime
For many decades, proponents have failed to secure the adoption of ecocide as a crime. The circumstances of Russia’s war on Ukraine create momentum for a breakthrough
The risk of ‘refugee fatigue’: Three ways European leaders can support Ukrainians fleeing the war
To counter Russian disinformation and take on populist parties, European politicians should do more to shape the debate around Ukrainian refugees in Europe
Europe’s other transatlantic friend: Germany’s and Canada’s new energy partnership
Germany’s new energy partnership with Canada faces a range of technical and political challenges. But sticking with it could bring major benefits for both sides
No quiet on the eastern front: The migration crisis engineered by Belarus
The EU should show the Lukashenka regime that it will no longer tolerate the weaponisation of migration. As with any form of blackmail, it would be senseless and dangerous to make concessions – because the aggressor will only demand more
Scotland’s Arctic dream of independence
The Scottish government is developing a foreign policy, and its Arctic vision is one of its most ambitious efforts yet. Should independence come, close friends in the north could be a vital support
Pandemic trends: Serbia looks east, Ukraine looks west
Public attitudes in Ukraine and Serbia raise pressing questions about EU enlargement. If member states are to sustain this process, they will need to base it on a shared sense of belonging
After the Pratasevich arrest: Four key steps for the EU on Belarus
Belarus will continue to cause problems on the EU’s doorstep – so it is now time for a firmer, longer-term approach
Vaccine passports: How the EU can win the next round of covid diplomacy
A new EUROVAX scheme should be at the heart of the EU’s new offer to help its neighbours tackle covid-19 in the years ahead
Podcasts
Kyiv’s relations with Europe in the age of Nord Stream 2
What can and should the EU do to support Ukrainian sovereignty?
Events
Wider Europe
The crisis in Ukraine: How to solve the Minsk conundrum
What are the intentions behind the military build-up? How likely are the chances of escalation beyond the Donbas? How should the EU respond?
In the media
Unfortunately, Zelensky does not have the luxury to be hostile towards Trump
Joanna Hosa on the Zelensky-Trump relation
Russia [is] seen much more strongly as a close ally of the country than the EU, as a study by the European Council on Foreign Relations from last year shows
DW refers to ECFR survey results on Serbia and Russia
Joanna Hosa takes part in Al Jazeera’s ‘The Take’ podcast to talk about the standoff at the Belarus border
For him, this is about vengeance and is a matter of regime survival – meaning that he is ready to escalate further, and to seek Russia’s backing in the process
The Guardian quotes from ECFR’s latest commentary on the Polish-Belarus border crisis,
If Poland is to cooperate with the EU on this, these two issues have to be disassociated as much as possible
The EU should have to convince Poland that the migration crisis in Belarus won’t be linked to the rule-of-law fight, thinks Joanna Hosa