OTKAZANO Okrugli stol "Rusko-ukrajinski sukob na tromeđu geopolitike, međunarodnog prava i religije"

Due to weather conditions, the announced round table has been cancelled.

The Centre for the Study of the Relationship between Science and Religion (CePOZiR) at the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Zagreb, in cooperation with the Catholic University of Croatia, had organized a round table titled “The Russia–Ukraine Conflict at the Intersection of Geopolitics, International Law, and Religion,” scheduled for Friday, March 27, 2026, at 10:30 in the “Blessed Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac” Hall at the Catholic University of Croatia.

Participants in the round table were to include Prof. Mirko Bilandžić, PhD (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences), Associate Professor Petar Popović, PhD (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Science), Associate Professor Gordan Akrap, PhD (University of Defence and Security “Dr. Franjo Tuđman”), Assistant Professor Jadranka Polović, PhD (Libertas International University), and Karla Žagi, PhD (Catholic University of Croatia).

The Russia–Ukraine conflict represents a complex phenomenon unfolding at the intersection of geopolitics, international law, and religion. Geopolitically, it is a conflict over Europe’s security architecture, the balance of power, and Ukraine’s position between the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian spheres. Russia’s perception of NATO expansion as a threat, along with Ukraine’s aspirations toward integration into Western structures, has shaped the dynamics of escalation. From a legal perspective, the 2022 invasion raised fundamental questions regarding territorial integrity, the prohibition of the use of force, and the right to self-determination, while arguments concerning the protection of populations and referendums in occupied territories have sparked intense international debate.

The religious dimension further deepens the conflict, particularly through the division between the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox Churches, reflecting broader questions of identity and civilizational belonging. The conflict thus goes beyond a conventional military confrontation, representing a multi-layered crisis of order, norms, and identity in contemporary international relations, as stated in CePOZiR’s announcement.