Speaker:  Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine (2021-2023)

Opening remarks followed by Q&A

Moderated by Steven Pifer, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (1998-2000), Stanford University & Brookings Institution

Mr. Reznikov served as the 17^th Minister of Defense of Ukraine from November 2021-September 2023. Prior to that, he was Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine (2020-21).  From 2014-18, he served as Deputy Mayor of Kyiv, during which time he also was head of the Ukrainian delegation at the Congress of local and regional authorities of the Council of Europe.

A top Ukrainian lawyer, Reznikov represented the candidate for the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko in 2004, proving in the Supreme Court the falsification of the election results by another candidate - Viktor Yanukovych. As a result, a re-voting took place and Yushchenko became the President of Ukraine.  Reznikov is known as one of the best Ukrainian negotiators, serving as the Deputy Head of the Ukrainian delegation at the "Minsk Negotiations.”  As a lawyer, he practiced alternative dispute resolution. Due to the fact that he managed to bring most of the conflict cases to a peaceful settlement, he received the nickname "Peacemaker".

Reznikov also has extensive teaching experience at a number of the national universities of Ukraine.  Recently, he has given lectures at universities Washington DC, Tokyo, Munich, Vilnius, and Tel Aviv.  He has received numerous awards, including the Order of the Cross of Vytis for special determination, sacrifice and leadership in the defense of Western democratic values and the fight for a safe Europe (awarded by the President of Lithuania, “Silver Cross of Merit" (awarded be the President of Poland), the "Medal of Merit" (awarded by the Defense Minister of Lithuania), and a medal for “Outstanding Leadership during the War" (awarded by the Defense Minister  of Denmark).