Ukrainian Democracy and Victory hub. Defence Cooperation with Nordic Countries.

Defence Cooperation with the Nordics: Civil–Military Partnership & Security Architecture. Russia’s war against Ukraine has fundamentally changed Europe’s security environment. It has also exposed a decisive lesson of modern warfare: victory and deterrence are no longer determined by military capability alone, but by the ability of states, armed forces, defence industries, governments, municipalities, businesses, universities and societies to operate as one resilient system — and to adapt faster than the adversary. This high level dialogue brings together ambassadors, defence and security analysts, industry leaders NAMMO, SAAB, Kitron and international partners from Ukraine, the Nordic countries and Canada to address a critical question: how can Nordic preparedness and Ukraine’s battle-tested innovation be integrated into a new European security architecture?Dialogue must lead to consolidated action. From Nordic industrial capacity and defence technologies to Ukraine’s real-time battlefield innovation; from Gripen and advanced air-defence capabilities to drones, electronic warfare and rapidly scalable technologies, the future of European defence will depend on how quickly these ecosystems can learn from each other, integrate and produce together. The discussion will therefore explore a fundamental shift: from slow peacetime procurement to rapid wartime co-production; from donor–recipient relationships to strategic industrial partnerships; and from isolated national capabilities to an interconnected European defence ecosystem. CSDW (Ukraine’s Almedalen), Nordic Europe Hub Ukraine bring this conversation to Arendalsuka as a platform connecting political, diplomatic, defence, industrial and civic actors. Born in wartime Ukraine and rooted in openness, accountability and transparency, CSDW is built on a simple principle: dialogue must lead to consolidated action. Summer 2026 exposes the urgency of the transformation. While NATO allies discuss Europe’s future security architecture, Russia continues to test Ukraine’s skies with ballistic missiles, seeking to project an illusion of strength. The emerging Coalition Against Ballistic Missiles represents an important opportunity — but its strategic value will depend on how quickly political commitments become operational capabilities. Ukraine has opened a window of opportunity. The question is how Europe will use it. What are the political, industrial and institutional conditions required to make the anti-ballistic coalition operational? What can complement Patriots? How can Nordic countries accelerate air defence, interceptor production, ammunition, drones and other critical capabilities? what commitments can governments and industry make now to ensure Ukraine is better protected and prepared for the coming winter? What are decisions and personal commitments capable of turning Nordic solidarity into operational cooperation — and Ukraine’s battlefield experience into a stronger secure Europe.