I have an interdisciplinary background and hold degrees in law and human rights (MA, University of Manchester), international relations (MA, College of Europe), and political science (PhD, Marie Curie Doctoral Programme, University of Bremen). In addition, I have held several research fellowships, inter alia at the Harvard Davis Center, the Wilson Center, and both the European and UK Parliaments.

My doctoral dissertation focused on a comparative analysis of the integration policies of Ukraine and Belarus vis-à-vis Russia and the EU. The resulting monograph was published by Ibidem and Columbia University Press: The Integration Policies of Belarus and Ukraine vis-à-vis the EU and Russia External link..

My research interests lie primarily in the intersection of EU democracy promotion and authoritarian diffusion in the Eastern Partnership countries. I have also completed a postdoctoral programme on electoral authoritarianism as an SFP Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. My core research questions there included: under what conditions do elections trigger protests, and when do such protests lead to authoritarian consolidation versus democratic breakthrough?

Another key area of my research is the political economy of international sanctions against Russia and Belarus, with a focus on their effective implementation, the closure of loopholes, and policy synchronization.

My work has been published in a range of academic and policy outlets, including Europe-Asia Studies, New Perspectives, Caucasus Survey, Ibidem and Routledge Handbook on Contemporary Belarus. While leading a project on Belarus at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, I authored several policy papers and reports and organized high-level events, including at the Munich Security Conference and NATO Summit.