Ukrainian Security Club: Towards strengthening Ukraine's resilience and cohesion
Yuriy Honcharenko, founder of the InfoLight.UA Research and Analytical Group
I am honored to write this text as the Chairman of the Ukrainian Security Club, an intellectual platform that has been developing systemic solutions to overcome key challenges and threats to our country since 2024.
On 15 May, we entered the public space with the concept of defense democracy - in Ternopil, during the first offsite meeting of the club. The conversation was joined by military personnel, veterans, scientists, volunteers, local government and business representatives, historians, experts - people who, on their own level, keep this country together.
Threats that cannot be silenced
We are in a state of uncertainty. Messages about a possible truce, ceasefire, or "negotiations" are constantly appearing in the information space. Scenarios can vary from a pause to a new round of escalation. And in this situation, we are both subjects of the process, but we do not always have influence on its key stages.
However, this is not the point. We know one thing for sure: Russia's goal remains the destruction of Ukraine as a state and Ukrainians as a separate identity. All the actions and public statements of Russian leaders are a direct confirmation of their intention to finally "resolve the Ukrainian issue".
It is dangerous to be under the illusion that a full occupation or a new large-scale operation is impossible. Even if it is a difficult and long-term task for the enemy, he is learning. And it does not act linearly. The Russian regime is ready to "fight forever" - and these words should be taken literally.
So, the main question is: who is stronger - us or them?
False hope and the danger of complacency
In the autumn of 2023, we have already experienced a moment of harsh sobering: the war will be long. Unfortunately, some Ukrainian politicians were thinking more about their post-war place than about the victory itself. Our partners were also trapped in illusions about Russian weakness.
Today, we hear the phrases again that "no war lasts forever" and that "everything will break down". This is an example of magical thinking - when, instead of taking clear action, we place our hopes in external forces, the economy or nature. And we lose sight of the main thing: the enemy is getting stronger. Not always qualitatively, but massively, quickly and centrally.
In many areas of technological development, such as military automation, drones, and the production of weapons, Russia has already begun to outpace not only us but also our partners. Today, there are two armies in the world that actually operate, both with extensive combat experience and technological flexibility: the Ukrainian and the Russian.
But this does not mean that our defeat is inevitable. On the contrary.
Defensive democracy as a response to the challenges of the times
In response to threats, we at the Ukrainian Security Club have formulated a principle: defensive democracy. It is not about temporary mobilisation of society, but about a sustainable model of the state that combines efficiency, armed ness, self-sufficiency with respect for democratic procedures.
This means not asking but being ready. Not to divide people into “in the army” and “in civilian life”, but to live by the principle: “you are either in the UAF or for the UAF”. Everyone has a contribution to make, and this contribution must be structured, fair and planned.
In such a model, peace is not the only chance to survive, but a desirable but not critical outcome. If an army of one million effectively rotates, and a rear of tens of millions supports it, a second invasion of such a state would be suicidal even for the most insane regime.
The more we are armed, the better the responsibility is distributed, the less likely war becomes.
Ukraine as a technological leader
Another equally important factor is technology. We are far ahead of our allies in their development, and it is Ukraine that has made tanks and other armored vehicles, expensive missiles and other systems available to our allies in the West archaic and virtually useless. The maritime drones of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, for example, have consistently surprised the world with their creative approach, and the recent downing of helicopters and aircraft by such drones has turned the concept of modern warfare upside down. We have driven Russia's compelling Black Sea Fleet to ports far from the occupied Crimea. And we did it with resources incomparable to the cost of this fleet.
We must continue to develop this area and overcome a certain gap with the enemy, which has arisen primarily due to bureaucracy and inefficiency in certain parts of the state administration. Efforts to maintain transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption should not compromise defense effectiveness, and there is room for finding optimal solutions.
A new type of public management is needed here.
The beautiful city of Ternopil
It was in Ternopil that we held the first offsite meeting of the Ukrainian Security Club - and, frankly, we couldn't have started better. We deliberately chose not the capital, not one of the largest cities, but a place where the living pulse of the Ukrainian spirit is felt. And we were right. The audience included those who really create the country's strength: military personnel, veterans, scientists, volunteers, local authorities, entrepreneurs, and historians. People with different backgrounds but equally concerned.
I moderated the discussion together with Viktor Ustenko, our Ternopil coordinator. We talked a lot and sincerely. We discussed the concept of defensive democracy, about the role of everyone in the war, about a new form of interaction between the state and society, where responsibility is not shared but multiplied. A simple and honest formula was voiced: “If not you, then who?”
At the first offsite meeting, we talked not only about strategies. We talked about the future. About children who need to be protected not only with weapons, but also with their worldview. About the game "Dzhura", which has become a symbol of education through action. About veterans who deserve real respect in everyday life rather than formal benefits.
It was about business, which cannot survive without planning horizons, and about the fact that the defense economy cannot survive a war without predictable orders.
It was a discussion not about problems but about solutions. Ternopil is not a one-off event. This is the first step in a systematic work. The next meetings will be held in other cities. We are approaching every Ukrainian with one question: "What did you do to make this country survive?" Because the answer to this question is defensive democracy.
Another dimension of our work is values as a basis for sustainability
The Ukrainian Security Club is not just about defense strategies, coordination and systemic solutions. It is also about meanings, about the worldview on which we build our state. That is why the next step will be to participate in a roundtable discussion in Kyiv on 27 May, which we will hold jointly with the Conservative Platform.
This event will open up another important line of work: strengthening social resilience through a return to the value-based system. How not to lose freedom while defending ourselves? How to combine democratic principles with the need to mobilize the state in a long war? How to prevent the moral exhaustion of the nation when daily losses seem endless?
We will discuss this based on the results of the Christian Democratic Assessment, a document that offers a holistic, balanced approach to policymaking in times of war. We are talking about a new social contract where values are not supplanted by survival instincts but serve as the basis for strategic decision-making.
Particular attention will be paid to practical steps: how to create an environment of responsible politicians who are truly capable of working for the long term, and what needs to be done to curb the demographic crisis. After all, no victory will be complete if there is no one to develop it afterward.
This roundtable is another proof that security policy does not exist in a vacuum. It is based on people, on communities, on trust. On those things that cannot be measured by drones and shells, but without which no army can stand.
The Ukrainian Security Club is about actions, analytics and meanings. And we continue to move forward. Because our strength is not only in iron, but in what holds us together.
