On January 9, 2026, the HK+ project team of our institute (Director: Prof. Choi Woo-ik) hosted its annual seminar, “At the Crossroads of War and Peace: Forecasting Russia in 2026,” as part of the publication of the institute’s annual report, Russia Report. Held each January, the Russia Report seminar is a regular academic event that reviews developments in Russia over the past year and offers projections for the year ahead. This year’s seminar provided a platform to explore not only the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war but also emerging discussions across various fields that contemplate a “post-war” scenario.

The seminar, which opened with welcoming remarks by Director Choi, consisted of two sessions. The first session, moderated by Prof. Je Seong-hoon (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies), featured presentations by Hong Sung-woo (Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Global Politics, HUFS), Park Ji-won (Research Fellow, Export-Import Bank of Korea), and Lee Ju-yeon (Research Fellow, Northeast Asian History Foundation). The speakers addressed key issues and outlooks in Russian domestic politics, the economy, and foreign relations.

The second session was moderated by Prof. Hwang Sung-woo (HK Professor, Institute of Russian Studies). Presentations were delivered by Kim Gyu-cheol (Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Russian Studies), Prof. Song Jung-soo (Chung-Ang University), and Prof. Jeon Mira (HK Research Professor, Institute of Russian Studies), who examined major developments in Russia over the past year from the perspectives of military security, Korea–Russia relations, and socio-cultural dynamics, highlighting noteworthy events.

Following each presentation, designated discussants and approximately 40 participants engaged in in-depth discussions. These exchanges provided an opportunity to assess the impact of the Russia–Ukraine war on Russian society, international relations, and the field of Russian studies, while also offering informed projections for Russia in 2026.

Summaries of the papers presented at the seminar will be published online through the Russia-Eurasia Focus column series issued by the institute, with a full online volume scheduled for release in March.