The Arctic region is a focal point of ongoing geopolitical competition and complex security dynamics. Despite their geographical and contextual differences, the Norwegian Arctic and Ukraine share common challenges and opportunities. Maryna Rabinovych discusses ‘civil preparedness’ and ‘transport and infrastructure’ as potential areas of knowledge transfer between Ukraine and Norway.
In this blog post, Tyyne Karjalainen proposes that in order to leave behind the European security order that enabled Russia’s aggression in the first place, the perspective from the ‘peripheries’ should be placed at the forefront of imagining future peace and security in Europe.
In this blog post, Toni Ahvenainen and Markku Mattila discuss the challenges faced by Ukrainians in the labour market of South Ostrobothnia, Finland. They argue for a shift toward a skills-based immigration approach to enhance both the integration of Ukrainians and the economic vitality of the region.
Development aid, support for post-conflict reconstruction and democracy promotion are highly knowledge-intensive fields of work. Drawing on experiences from many conflict and post-conflict regions, Jørn Holm-Hansen argues that aid aimed at peaceful reconstruction can sometimes perpetuate existing rivalries or foster new ones.
In this blog post, Oksana Žabko looks at the existing inclusion practices for Ukrainian children in Latvian schools and discusses the pupils’ lived experiences. She offers suggestions on the government’s proposal for compulsory enrolment of Ukrainian children in Latvian schools.
In response to Russia’s cyber attacks, Ukraine has rolled out its own system of cyber defence and counter offence. Dmytro Khutkyy summarises six types of cyber resilience and calls for stronger cooperation between the Ukrainian government and civil society.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted the Zelensky executive to adopt a new Mobilisation Act. Geir Flikke and Aadne Aasland analyse the process of adoption and public perceptions of the law, drawing on survey and voting data collected for the VALREF project.
Russia’s invasion has inflicted severe damage and losses on Ukraine, necessitating a massive rebuilding effort. Veronika Vakulenko argues that civil society must be involved in the recovery process and offers guidance to Nordic and Baltic policymakers on how to achieve this.
In this blog post, Maryna Rabinovych and Anne Pintsch summarise the key outcomes and policy recommendations based on a hybrid session on Ukrainian-Nordic research cooperation. The session was co-organised by the University of Agder and Oslo Metropolitan University at the inaugural Carpathian Sea Democracy Week in Truskavets (Lviv region, Ukraine) in April 2024.
In the discussion on the reception of Ukrainian refugees in the Baltic-Nordic region countries, Latvia’s policy appears to be solid and consistent. In this blog, HROMADA member Oksana Žabko explains details of Latvia’s policy applied.