Reintegration of Ukraine’s Veterans: Charting a Path Forward

Ukraine’s armed forces have expanded significantly since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, growing to over 800,000 active-duty soldiers and 1 million reservists. As a result, Ukraine now faces the challenge of supporting over 1.2 million veterans, with projections indicating that number will rise to 5-6 million in the coming years. Despite this surge, assessing veterans’ needs and ensuring their adaptation and reintegration remains an underdeveloped area in Ukraine’s policy landscape. The ongoing war has heightened the urgency of developing a comprehensive veterans policy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made the reintegration of veterans a key priority, recognizing its critical importance for Ukraine's long-term stability and recovery.

How can Ukraine develop a policy framework that responds to the growing number of veterans? What are the legal and institutional obstacles to creating a system that meets their diverse needs? How can veterans contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery efforts? What support will they need to adapt successfully to the new realities, and how can society facilitate the process?

This panel brings together experts and veterans to discuss how Ukraine can address these pressing questions and build a resilient, inclusive veterans policy for the future.

For more information, please contact Zsuzsanna Végh ([email protected]).

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan policy organization committed to the idea that the United States and Europe are stronger together.