A notable and telling trend has emerged inside the Russian military: rare, highly trained specialists are being reassigned en masse to frontline infantry roles, Viktor Kevliuk, Ukrainian Colonel and expert in Defense Strategies, wrote on Jan. 28.

As a foreigner, what impresses me most is the motivation and determination of Ukrainians in defending their country — not only the military, who fight for their homeland day and night, but also civilians and entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial spirit of Ukrainians is equally impressive.

“We go out to the fields in body armour,” says Yuriy Bolotov, “We don’t carry arms, but we also defend our country’s interests when fighting for our harvest in the Kherson steppes.”

Prosecuting Ukrainian collaborators is complex. Proving voluntariness, distinguishing coercion, and securing reliable testimony are inherently difficult and are further complicated by Russia’s occupation, restricted access to evidence and witnesses in the temporarily occupied territories, and its systematic disregard for the law of occupation, which distorts civilian behaviour and obscures the truth.

Reflecting on 2025, I recall a remark from a security conference in Germany: Ukraine must cease to be seen as a security problem for Europe and instead be recognized as a solution to Europe’s defense challenge. I believe this transformation has already begun, but it remains incomplete and fragile.