Unbreakable Europe

About the Initiative

Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has demonstrated that the ability of a democratic state to defend itself depends not only on military strength. It also depends on the capacity of institutions to continue operating during a prolonged crisis, protect the population, ensure continuity of government, maintain critical infrastructure, and rapidly restore vital systems after attacks.

Ukraine has gained unique practical experience in national resilience under conditions of modern warfare. This experience includes protecting and rapidly restoring energy, transport, digital, and communications infrastructure; ensuring the continuity of essential public and social services; protecting critical infrastructure; adapting civil protection systems to new military technologies; strengthening crisis communications; and countering disinformation.

This experience has been shaped by constant attacks, simultaneous crises across multiple sectors, and the need to rapidly adjust governance and operational approaches. It shows how a democratic state can preserve institutional functionality, social cohesion, and the capacity to act even under sustained military pressure.

Unbreakable Europe creates a mechanism for transforming Ukraine’s lessons into practical recommendations, preparedness models, and tools that European institutions, national governments, civil protection services, and regional and local authorities can adapt for their own use.

The initiative is being developed at a time when the EU is reviewing its own crisis preparedness architecture. The EU Preparedness Union Strategy calls for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, stronger coordination between civilian and security institutions, the introduction of minimum preparedness requirements, and the modernization of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

Ukraine’s hard-won know-how can bring a practical dimension to these processes. It helps identify the decisions, institutional links, and reserve capacities that need to be established before a major crisis begins in order to save more lives and preserve the functioning of the state. This also serves to prevent an aggressor from achieving political objectives through fear, destruction, and the destabilization of society.

At the same time, Unbreakable Europe is a platform for broader European and transatlantic cooperation. It will bring together Ukrainian practitioners with European civil protection and emergency response services, public authorities, civil society organizations, think tanks, and research institutions. Participants from a range of countries will be able to exchange approaches, compare preparedness models, identify shared risks, and build new partnerships.

Unbreakable Europe Task Force

The Unbreakable Europe Task Force is the initiative’s central expert and practitioner platform.

It brings together representatives of Ukrainian institutions that have managed wartime crises with representatives of European emergency services, civil protection services, national governments, regional and local governments, the EU and NATO, civil society organizations, think tanks, and research institutions.

The Task Force will focus on:

• supporting the integration of Ukrainian lessons learned into the evolving EU civil protection and preparedness architecture;
• facilitating cooperation among emergency services and civil protection institutions from different European countries;
• sharing national and local approaches to protecting civilians and maintaining essential services;
• connecting public institutions with civil society organizations, researchers, infrastructure operators, and community networks;
• developing practical recommendations, policy briefs, and case studies;
• creating partnerships for joint research, training, exercises, and institutional cooperation.

Regular Task Force meetings will address issues such as the protection of critical infrastructure, evacuation and sheltering, emergency response, civilian-military coordination, continuity of public administration, crisis communication, energy resilience, local governance, and the restoration of essential services.

The Task Force will also serve as an exchange platform where partners from European countries will be able to present their own experience and identify opportunities for cooperation.

By combining Ukraine’s war-tested knowledge with European and transatlantic expertise, Unbreakable Europe will contribute to a stronger Europe capable of protecting its citizens, democratic institutions, and shared security space.