Security Sector Governance in Ukraine: Key Considerations for Policy Makers in 2023

Security Sector Governance in Ukraine: Key Considerations for Policy Makers in 2023

Authors: Polina Beliakova and Sarah Detzner

This brief offers insights into the current challenges to Ukraine’s security sector governance, gleaned from examining Ukraine’s track record of security sector reform (SSR) since independence in 1991, with a particular focus on reform progress since the Russian incursion of 2014 and the impact of reform successes and failures on the current war. We find, in brief, that Ukraine, with international support, has overcome past inertia and made remarkable security sector reform progress since 2014. However, reform successes have been focused around immediate combat needs, and major weaknesses that create long term vulnerabilities issues with civil military relations, professional military education, and defense sector corruption remain.

Our recommendations focus on the ways that the Ukrainian government, civil society, and external supporters can mitigate these persistent weaknesses and plan now to address post conflict governance risks. Finally, we explore how UkraineUkraine’s experience offers insights for states similarly threatened.