On 17 November, researchers, diplomats, analysts and representatives of veteran initiatives gathered at the Polaris Programme space in Kyiv to discuss the analytical article “Ukraine’s Veterans: From Fragility to a Pillar of European Security”, published by the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS). The publication has, in a sense, introduced a new angle to the discussion on veterans within the future architecture of European security.

Among the participants were the authors of the article — SCEEUS analyst Klara Lindström and the Second Secretary of the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, Nikolina Nilsson. The discussion also brought together the international veteran-policy expert at the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Ukraine, Hanna Riley, analysts from Veteran Hub, Pryncyp, the Ukrainian Veterans’ Fund, as well as the expert team of the Polaris Programme. 

The meeting opened with an analysis of the article’s key findings, which emphasise that the topic of veterans is already one of the most significant societal and political challenges facing EU countries. The authors stressed that Europe must integrate the veteran dimension into its own security vision — including through embedding veteran issues in EU financial instruments, creating an EU–Ukraine Partnership for Veteran Transition, and linking successful veteran policy to Ukraine’s EU accession process.

In her remarks, Klara Lindström noted:
“Veterans policy in Ukraine is not only highly relevant but strategically important. Meanwhile, in the EU it is often perceived much more narrowly — mostly as a matter of remembrance. This is why we need to consistently explain to the European audience what veterans policy means in the Ukrainian context and why it is critical. It is directly connected to the reforms that accompany Ukraine’s European integration: social cohesion, institutional effectiveness and fundamental principles of democratic development.”

Participants then moved to the broader issues highlighted in the publication: the need to reintegrate up to 5 million people — veterans and their family members; the risks that emerge if adequate support is not ensured; and veterans as a strategic resource capable of strengthening local self-government and forming a defence reserve. Equally important is the fact that Ukrainian veterans have defended — and continue to defend — not only their own country, but the European security order.

Nikolina Nilsson shared her perspective: “In our article, we aimed to identify modern, evidence-based approaches for developing policy recommendations. However, we found a lack of up-to-date positive examples to rely on. We tried to examine the experience of the Balkan wars, but quickly realised that the Ukrainian context is unique and therefore requires new solutions and new research. This issue is also relevant for Western European countries, as they too are looking for effective mechanisms to reintegrate veterans into society. In this sense, Europe truly has much to learn from Ukraine.”

Her words set the tone for the discussion that followed: the Ukrainian experience is not only a challenge but also valuable intellectual capital.

Participants discussed social cohesion — how it is formed, how to measure it, and why it is a prerequisite for community resilience. The strength of societal ties determines the ability to withstand external and internal crises.

They also examined coordination between national and local policies, international practices from Sweden and the United Kingdom — particularly regarding mental health support, retraining of veterans, and digitalisation of veteran services.

The moderator of the meeting, Denis Chechel, veteran-inclusion expert at the Polaris Programme, emphasised that veterans policy should be viewed not only as a support system but as an investment in the country’s recovery and development. Veterans carry unique experience, leadership potential and motivation that can significantly enhance community capacity, provided opportunities are created for their professional growth and active participation in decision-making: “Local strategies on veterans policy are already beginning to take shape. But effective policy is impossible without the participation of everyone who works with veterans, veterans themselves and their families — those who best understand their needs. Including these voices will allow communities to rethink their approaches and build a broader bridge between local self-government and the veteran community.”

Experts from Ukrainian analytical organisations raised several key issues for discussion:

• the need to transform the societal status of veterans and their families;
• the role of spouses and family members as a distinct group requiring legal and social protection;
• community–veteran interaction and the practical steps local governments can take to create inclusive administrative services;
• the potential to apply European reintegration models at the level of Ukrainian communities.

Participants agreed: integrating veteran issues into local policy is an investment not only in social wellbeing but also in the security stability of Ukraine and Europe.

The event became a space where Ukrainian and international experience converged in the search for a new model — one in which successful veteran reintegration is seen as a key condition for European stability.