The collapse of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure last year due to Russia’s war brought the entire country to its knees. And while Ukraine was, for the most part, spared from widespread blackouts this winter, Russian forces are once again targeting critical infrastructure.

As of today, Ukraine continues to fight for its survival in the midst of a terrible war with Russia. Therefore, progress in cases of conviction of the Russian leadership for crimes against children is extremely important, as it will contribute to delegitimizing Putin's actions and status and will encourage countermeasures against Russia even by those states acting reluctantly in their opposition to the aggressor. Furthermore, progress in the proceedings against Putin and Lvova-Belova will also bring justice to the victims of crimes against children and their families. Accordingly, any delay in this regard is unjustified and even criminal.

"The myth of peaceful coexistence is an entirely colonial perspective, and access to archives is crucial in dismantling it," explains Andriy Kohut, Director of the Sectoral Archive of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). According to Kohut, Western academia has been influenced by the long-standing perception that in this part of the world, there was only Russia and its periphery, a view that has been constructed over centuries. "This is starting to change. But we need to institutionalize these ongoing discussions about decolonization and ensure that Ukraine's voice is represented at every level in any conversations about Ukraine," Kohut states. The discussion took place in an interview with Olha Aivazovska as part of the Civil Network OPORA's project, "The Power of Choice."

The new normal that Ukraine has been forced into after Russia's full-scale invasion on the 24th of February 2022 raises questions for the Ukrainian government, politicians, experts, and society about whether democratic elections are possible in Ukraine while the active phase of the war is ongoing. This also raises questions about the legitimacy of Ukrainian elected authorities when elections are not likely for years to come. Part I of the Ukraine Policy Alert “Ukrainian authorities’ legitimacy when elections are impossible” examines the limitations imposed by a full-scale war on the conduct of elections in Ukraine, as well as the legal legitimacy of representative bodies that cannot be re-elected. Part II attempts to answer the question of how to maintain a sufficient level of trust in the authorities in a situation where elections are impossible. Unlike legal legitimacy, political legitimacy is not determined by the Constitution, but by the ever-changing political reality. The latter remains the main problem for the Ukrainian authorities, growing with each passing year without elections.

Despite the fact that elections cannot be held in Ukraine because of the full-scale invasion, electoral legislation needs to be changed and harmonized in accordance with the standards of the European Union. In particular, it concerns amendments to the Electoral Code, gender quotas, party financing, and professionalization of election administration bodies.

Massive shelling of the energy infrastructure prompted Ukrainians to migrate abroad. Indeed, the number of departures from Ukrainian territory in November 2022 increased by 17% compared to October; in December, it rose by 39% overall. These findings are evidenced by the results of a study conducted by the Civil Network OPORA, the International Centre for Ukrainian Victory, and the telecommunications company “Vodafone Ukraine”, which provided the data for the calculations.

Demographic and migration crises are some of the major challenges caused by the full-scale invasion. In fact, the Kremlin has sent Ukraine's human capital situation into a steep dive. However, demographic problems are not new for our country, they have been challenging us for a long time now.  The 1990s optimistic advertising slogan of “We are 52 million” has never been true to fact. Today, it looks like from a different reality.

Civil Network OPORA initiated a working group on political financing. It included representatives of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, the Central Election Commission, the National Police of Ukraine, and all-Ukrainian and international organizations.