Ukrainian-led programme strengthens cross-sector resilience in wartime

The first cohort of Total Defence: Leading Resilient Ukraine completed the six-month certificate programme in June. Launched by Join Ukraine and the Analytical Centre of the Ukrainian Catholic University in partnership with the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) and the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, the programme brought together leaders from government, the military, civil society, business and media.

Through seven three-day modules, participants explored total defence as a whole-of-society approach to national security, and how societies can respond to war, hybrid threats and long-term pressure on democratic institutions.

For FBA, the initiative reflects the importance of building resilience through trust, cooperation and shared responsibility across society.

– Ukraine’s greatest strength lies not just in its infrastructure, but in its people – in the way you share values and communicate across different sectors with a common purpose, says Per Olsson Fridh, Director-General of FBA.

From wartime cooperation to long-term resilience

The programme responds to a strategic need identified by Ukrainian partners: to equip  leaders with tools and integrated approaches for cross-sectoral cooperation within a total defence framework.

– When state institutions and civil society join forces, it helps Ukraine resist the aggressor and brings the country closer to victory, says Liubov Tsybulska, Director of Join Ukraine.

A recurring message throughout the programme was that modern wars are not won by armies alone, but by resilient societies able to coordinate across sectors and sustain trust under pressure.

The programme covered strategic foresight and hybrid threats, societal resilience and civic unity, civil-military-government cooperation, economic and infrastructure resilience, information influence and democratic integrity, and leadership for Ukraine’s future.

Each module combined expert sessions, peer exchange, simulations and group work. A central part of the programme was the Capstone Project, where participants worked in intersectoral teams to develop concrete responses to urgent national challenges through a total defence lens.

A forum that did not exist before

A mid-term assessment of the pilot programme pointed to strong relevance, high participant engagement and growing institutional interest. Participants particularly valued the opportunity to exchange experience with peers from other sectors – a type of structured forum they described as rare in the Ukrainian context.

The assessment also noted that the programme has generated interest among Ukrainian institutions and decision-makers, underlining its potential to inform future work on total defence and resilience.

Mutual learning between Sweden and Ukraine

Swedish actors contributed with experience from areas including total defence, psychological defence, civil preparedness and cross-sector coordination. At the same time, the programme has offered Swedish partners important insights from Ukraine’s lived experience of full-scale war.

The first cohort has now completed the programme, but the work continues. During the autumn, the initiative will continue with an alumni network as well as a new group of participants from different parts of Ukrainian society.

For FBA, the programme is part of Sweden’s long-term support to Ukraine’s resilience, democratic institutions and capacity to respond to hybrid threats.

Read more about FBA’s work in Ukraine.