NAKO Executive Director Olena Tregub took part in the Halifax International Security Forum, held on 21–23 November 2025 in Canada. In particular, Tregub spoke at two panel discussions:
- “Democracies Defeat Dictators”, which also featured Comfort Ero, President of the International Crisis Group, and Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space;
- “Ukraine: End the War by Winning the War” — together with Ambassador Andriy Shevchenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, and Paweł Zalewski, State Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence of Poland.
The event brought together military leaders, business representatives, and policymakers from the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, Africa, and Latin America — more than 300 participants in total. A delegation of the U.S. Congress also joined the forum.
One of the key messages of the event was the importance of strengthening cooperation among democracies amid growing threats from authoritarian regimes. “Ukraine is a beacon of hope for every person in the world who treasures freedom and democracy. Now is the time to help Ukraine end the war by winning the war,” said HFX President Peter Van Praagh.
A major topic of discussion was the U.S.-proposed peace plan for Ukraine. “Across the board — Democrats, Republicans, Europeans, Canadians and Ukrainians alike — the reaction has been the same: genuine shock. In its current form, the plan looks like a proposal for Ukraine’s capitulation,” Tregub stressed. She added that members of Congress present at the event were outraged and apologized for the plan.
At the same time, Tregub noted that Ukraine and European partners would submit their own proposals, so the final version of the plan will differ significantly from the initial 28 points. “But do I believe this will lead to a ceasefire or a real peace? No — because nothing suggests that Russia is ready to stop at this point,” she said.
Overall, forum participants agreed that Russia is unlikely to accept a ceasefire. Therefore, it is crucial that negotiations do not delay new sanctions or the confiscation of Russian assets — which is exactly what Russia is seeking, the NAKO Executive Director emphasized.