Mariia Zolkina is DINAM Fellow (2022-2024) at the Department of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Head of Regional Security and Conflict Studies at Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF), Kyiv-based think tank. She is a Ukrainian Researcher working in the fields of regional security, reintegration policies towards occupied territories and wartime diplomacy. Since 2014 she has been producing public policy analysis regarding political and diplomatic components of Russo-Ukrainian war, especially regarding the Donbas region, and implications of the conflict both at the national and international levels. Mariia has rich experience in designing and conducting public opinion polls regarding conflict-related issues, including in frontline areas. Mariia has authored and co-authored a number of analytical reports, policy papers and publications in prominent Ukrainian and international mass media, books, academic journals and on analytical platforms. She also served as an external consultant to the Ministry for informational policy of Ukraine (testing Strategy of informational reintegration of Donbas with field research tools), and the Governmental Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine. In 2022 she was invited as an external expert on the Russian aggression against Ukraine to cover live news production for Al Jazeera Arabic TV Channel. In June, 2023 Mariia was invited by Chatham House, UK to join Policy Leadership School within The Queen Elisabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs.