Brussels dialogue with Russian pro-democracy and anti-war actors

On Tuesday, the European Parliament will host a conference where participants will explore the prospects and challenges for pro-democracy players in Russia.

WHEN: Tuesday 23 June (opening session 9.00-10.15)

WHERE: European Parliament, Brussels

Members of Russian democratic forces, anti-war activists, civil society representatives and academics will get together in Brussels with representatives of EU institutions, EU members states and international partners and experts on Tuesday. The high-level conference, hosted by the European Parliament, with the support of the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), is the second edition of the "Brussels Dialogue" with Russian democratic actors. The first took place in June 2023.

The event aims to provide a platform for dialogue and cooperation, encouraging exchanges among different elements of Russian civil society, academia and democratic activism while fostering a deeper mutual understanding.

At the opening, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, will address the participants via video message. European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno, Commissioners for Defence and Enlargement Andrius Kubilus and Marta Kos, and UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation Mariana Katzarova, will also speak. Svetlana Gannushkina, human rights activist and founder and chair of the Civic Assistance Committee, and Dimitry Muratov, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, will address the participants during the opening session.

Across several panels, participants will go on to discuss the challenges that Russian society is facing in the field of human rights, the long-term implications of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and disinformation. The panellists will also explore how to work towards a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine.

Important information

Only the opening session, 9.00-10.15 CET, will be open to the media. The rest of the conference will be held in camera.

You can also watch the opening live here:

https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstreaming?view=day&d=2026-06-23