KYIV, May 27, 2025 – Leading Ukrainian experts in security, politics and social development held a roundtable discussion “Ways to Strengthen Ukraine’s Social Resilience: Values-Based Expertise” and discussed the country’s critical national resilience issues in times of war.
The event, which lasted an hour at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, brought together representatives of the security and defense sector, government, civil society, and the expert community. The event was organized by the Conservative Platform (a joint project of the NGO “Foundation for Promotion of Democracy” and the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine) in partnership with the Ukrainian Security Club.
Opening the event, Yuriy Goncharenko, Chairman of the Ukrainian Security Club and the NGO “Foundation for Promotion of Democracy”, outlined the key challenges: “In the context of unprecedented challenges faced by our country, the issue of national resilience is gaining new importance. How to form an effective model of social cohesion? What mechanisms will help Ukraine maintain a balance between security and freedom? These are the questions we will be looking for answers to today.”
Olena Maksymova, a representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine, joined the online discussion and noted that Ukrainian and European unity should be conditioned not only by the presence of a common enemy, but first and foremost by common values. “Christian conservative thought should play an important role in this process. It is able to formulate not only ideals but also practical approaches in the field of education, family policy, media, ethics of power, etc. Today, Ukraine needs leaders and managers who are ready not only to lead but to serve and who have power as a vocation, not as a privilege,” Maksymova added.
Oleksiy Ivashyn, coordinator of the Civil-Military Movement Initiative Group, emphasized the importance of a systematic approach: “We cannot build national resilience in a fragmented manner. We need a comprehensive strategy that will unite the efforts of the state, society and every citizen.”
Andriy Yusov, representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, outlined the key challenges for the state: “Many Ukrainians today are striving for a quick peace – it is quite natural. We all want to return to life without worries, without explosions, without loss of loved ones. But the unpleasant truth is that in the coming years, and possibly decades, there will be no more peaceful life.”
Yusov noted that it is Ukrainian unity that will face further tests and enemy attacks: “One of the components of this is attacks on the Ukrainian military, which they will try to discredit in the eyes of Ukrainian society, in particular, to explain that” not everything is so clear “. Discrediting the military, who enjoy tremendous trust and support in the country, is certainly a component of Putin’s hybrid information war against Ukraine and Ukrainians.” .
Serhiy Demyanov, representative of the Foundation for Research on the Future, focused on the information component: “Information defense is no less important element of defensive democracy than military defense. Our research shows that a society that cannot protect its information space is doomed to lose the war for minds. Russia is waging not just military aggression against us, but a civilizational war, where disinformation and manipulation are as much a weapon as tanks and missiles.”
Presentation of analytical materials
The centerpiece of the event was the presentation of the analytical notes “Christian Democratic Expertise” by Yuriy Honcharenko. The document covers four key areas – economy, politics, society, and culture – offering a comprehensive approach to addressing national challenges through the prism of values.
“Our research is not just an analysis of the problems, but concrete recommendations on how to build a society where human dignity, solidarity and responsibility become the basis for decision-making,” Honcharenko said. “The Conservative Platform project started in 2016. We are not the kind of conservatives who sprung up like mushrooms after the rain after Trump’s victory. The support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in 2024 allowed us to find like-minded people and join the Ukrainian Security Club. Today’s study is the result of many years of work on the question: how to build a society that is both strong and humane, secure and free.”
Oleksiy Ivashyn, coordinator of the Initiative Group of the Civil-Military Movement and a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, highlighted the problems of the Ukrainian nation’s resilience in the war, which has become an existential challenge for our society, and called for not just outlining the problems but also for practical models of strengthening resilience through the system of values.
He also emphasized the model of defense democracy, which envisages unconditional preservation of all democratic procedures and standards while strengthening unity between all segments of Ukrainian society – military, veterans and civilians – as a key to Ukraine’s victory and future prosperity.
Ivashyn named comprehensive support for the Ukrainian Defense Forces, increasing public respect for the state’s defenders, the prestige of military service, and the importance of fulfilling civic duties as the central points of defense democracy.
The expert also emphasized the need to educate young people in the spirit of national and patriotic values and readiness to defend Ukraine and noted the importance of assisting veterans and their families in realizing their legal rights and interests.
Ivashyn noted that in order to build a defensive democracy, the Civic-Military Movement is already focusing on military training and first aid for young people, educating Ukrainian citizens about the need to protect the state and be prepared to counter threats, volunteer support, organizing national-patriotic and public events aimed at strengthening national unity, and providing support to veterans and their families (advocacy, legal assistance, and information support).
He also noted that one of the answers to these challenges is a rotational model of military service, which can be a fair and even burden of the war on the whole society in order to restore the strength of Ukrainian defenders.
Expert discussion
Andriy Yusov, representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, emphasized that: “Only when the aggressor knows that the response to his aggression will be harsh and ruthless will he not attack. Only when the entire free world continues to see our determination to resist evil will it lend a shoulder.
Ukraine is doomed to build a powerful security system, to make defense and protection of the country a top priority not only for the state but for the entire society. One of the elements of this is the principle “Either in the Defense Forces or for the Defense Forces”. This is not militarization, it is realism – the realization that our freedom requires constant readiness to defend it.”
Yaroslav Bozhko of the Center for Political Studies “Doktryna” emphasized the importance of the value dimension of politics and public activity, as well as security as one of the basic values: “Security is beginning to play an important role as one of the fundamental values, along with freedom and material comfort. And we can say that to some extent, only war brings us to the point where at some moments it may turn out to be the most fundamental value, because people sacrifice both freedom and material comfort for it.”
Serhiy Demyanov, representative of the Foundation for Research on the Future, emphasized the importance of social cohesion: “Our research shows an alarming trend – the level of social cohesion is declining. This is a natural process for a prolonged war, but we must actively counteract it through specific programs and initiatives.”
During the discussion, the participants discussed four key issues in detail:
- Strengthening social cohesion in the context of a prolonged war. Experts agreed that the emotional mobilization of 2022 needs to be transformed into a more sustainable, institutionally supported solidarity.
- The balance of security and freedom. The discussion showed the need to find a Ukrainian model that would ensure national security without losing democratic values.
- Responsible policy as a response to challenges. Participants emphasized the importance of moving from populism to a policy based on values and a long-term vision.
- Practical steps to building a network of responsible politicians. Specific mechanisms for the formation of a new political culture in Ukraine are discussed.
In closing the event, Yuriy Goncharenko summarized the results of the discussion: “Today’s conversation has shown that the Ukrainian expert community understands the challenges and is ready to look for solutions. We cannot afford the luxury of waiting for better times to implement value-based policies. The war is not a reason to postpone reforms, but an incentive to make them deeper and more systemic.”
The organizers reported that the materials of theChristian Democratic Expertise study have been published for wide discussion, and the Conservative Platform plans to continue a series of expert discussions on the formation of a value-based policy for Ukraine.
The event is streamed on Interfax-Ukraine ‘s YouTube channel for those who could not attend in person but are interested in discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine’s social resilience.
Analytical notes “Christian Democratic Expertise” are published on the website of the Conservative Platform and are available for download:
https://conservative.org.ua/2025/05/27/analitychni-zapysky-khrystyiansko-demokratychna-ekspertyza