Throughout 2020, the NSDC of Ukraine adopted a number of strategically important decisions for the development of the state

Throughout 2020, 15 meetings of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine were held, at which 17 issues relevant to the security and defense sector were considered.

In particular, among the most important decisions adopted by the Council last year were:

“On the National Security Strategy of Ukraine".

It was first developed based on the new Law “On National Security of Ukraine” which laid the foundation for structural reforms in this vital area.

This document, which grounds on the election program of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is fundamental for the development of Ukraine, as it reflects changes, trends and the role of the state in solving strategic tasks for the country at a certain stage of development.

The new Strategy is qualitatively different from previous documents of this kind and has a special character – according to the Law of Ukraine “On National Security of Ukraine” it establishes the basis for developing other strategic planning documents that will determine the ways and tools of its implementation.

In such a way, according to the NSDC decision, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, state bodies in the relevant areas of national security must submit to the NSDC within six months draft Human Development Strategy, Military Security Strategy of Ukraine, Public Security and Civil Defense Strategy of Ukraine, Strategy of the Development of the Defense-Industrial Complex of Ukraine, Economic Security Strategy, Strategy of Biosafety and Biological Protection, Information Security Strategy, Cybersecurity Strategy of Ukraine, Foreign Policy Strategy, State Security Strategy, National Intelligence Program.

The Government is also tasked with developing and approving the Energy Security Strategy, the Strategy of Ecological Security and Adaptation to Climate Change, the Integrated Border Management Strategy, and the Food Security Strategy.

“On the report on the results of the defense review by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine”.

During the defense review, which lasted from May 25 to December 12, 2019, with the application of fundamentally new capability-based, threats-oriented planning methodology used by NATO member countries, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine performed five main tasks: security environment assessment; force planning, in particular, capabilities review; resource planning; developing a perspective model of the Armed Forces and other components of the defense forces; preparation of proposals for strategic documents.

After the President of Ukraine approved the report on the results of the Defense Review on March 24, 2020, work on a new Military Security Strategy of Ukraine set off.

“On proposals to the draft Law of Ukraine “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2021” on articles related to national security and defense of Ukraine”.

Increasing expenditures on financing the security and defense sector is a principled stance of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Head of the NSDC of Ukraine) on issues of national security.

On December 15, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine “On the State Budget for 2021” as a whole. Security and defense expenditures next year are projected at no less than 267 287,9 ​​million hryvnias or at least 5,93% of GDP.

The corresponding target indicator for 2020 was 5,45% of GDP.

The finalization of the budget takes into account the above NSDC decision, which, among other things, instructed the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in 2021 to take measures to ensure priority funding for the security and defense sector in Ukraine.

“On urgent national security measures in the context of the outbreak of acute respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2”.

This decision was an important step towards ensuring national security in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak. It envisaged taking a number of urgent measures to localize the epidemic on the border of Ukraine, mobilize health care resources, provide the country with personal protective equipment and test systems, introduce a simplified regime of receiving critical resources for medical care (procurement of personal protective equipment and medical equipment), financial incentives for the economy and business, etc.

“On the main indicators of the state defense order for 2020 and 2021, 2022”.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gives paramount priority to the issue of reorganizing the defense-industrial complex.

Joint work with the Office of the President of Ukraine and relevant ministries and agencies resulted in the above NSDC decision. Reforming of the defense-industrial complex envisages the introduction of a systematic approach to the development of this area, first of all, a radical change in management approaches.

Reforming of the defense-industrial complex should take into account the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, current global trends in the development of armaments and equipment and international cooperation.

“On the application, lifting and amendment of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)”.

By this decision, the NSDC of Ukraine supported the proposals on the application, lifting and amendment of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine. Personal sanctions have been applied to a number of individuals and legal entities, in particular, to Russian social networks and Internet services, including Mail.ru, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki and others.

Decisions of the NSDC of Ukraine are enforced by decrees of the President of Ukraine.

Some decisions of the NSDC of Ukraine are classified as “secret”.