UKRAINE'S POST-WAR SOLIDARIZATION BASED ON INTERNATIONAL AND EU APPROACHES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36004/nier.es.2025.1-03Keywords:
dissociation, European integration, institutional trust, post-war recovery, Russian-Ukrainian war, social dynamics, societal processes, solidarityAbstract
The relevance of this article stems from the urgent need to strengthen social solidarity within Ukrainian society, recognized as a key factor in enhancing the country’s socio-economic resilience during martial law and in the post-war period. The aim of the study is to develop a strategic framework for reinforcing post-war solidarity in Ukraine, along with identifying the prerequisites for its tactical implementation, drawing on contemporary international and pan-European approaches.
The research adopts an interdisciplinary methodology, incorporating tools from sociology, economic theory, and public administration. The authors have obtained the following key findings: a discernible decline in the level of solidarity among Ukrainians amid the prolonged full-scale war; identification of the primary endogenous risks linked to diminishing societal cohesion; analysis of the post-conflict recovery experiences of various European states, highlighting critical challenges they encountered in restoring solidarity—insights that are highly relevant for Ukraine; and substantiation of the most effective strategic and tactical public governance approaches for fostering national unity.
Within the frameworks of economic theory and public administration, the study substantiates that, in alignment with Ukraine’s European integration goals and post-conflict recovery agenda, and in pursuit of a synergistic effect through integrative policy application, the most suitable public governance approaches include: the "Humanitarian Aid–Development–Peace Nexus", the formation of a "social quality perspective", and principles derived from modern EU cohesion policy.
The scientific contribution of the article lies in its potential to inform the formulation of strategic directions for Ukraine’s state policy in the context of post-war recovery and comprehensive integration into the European Union.
Downloads
References
Danylyshyn, B. (2022). How to rebuild the economy after the war. Programmatic reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina: lessons for Ukraine. https://lb.ua/blog/bogdan_danylysyn/510994_yak_vidnovlyuvati_ekonomiku_pislya.html [in Ukrainian]
Durkheim, E. ([1933] 1960). The Division of Labor in Society. (Trans. by G. Simpson). Illinois: The Free Press of Glencoe. http://fs2.american.edu/dfagel/www/Class%20Readings/Durkheim/Division%20Of%20Labor%20Final%20Version.pdf
European Commission (2024а). Ninth Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion. https://doi.org/10.2776/264833
European Commission (2024b). Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024 Report. Commission Staff Working Document, 30.10.2024 SWD(2024) 691 final. https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/451db011-6779-40ea-b34b-a0eeda451746_en?filename=Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina%20Report%202024.pdf
European Commission (2024с). Ukraine 2024 Report. Commission Staff Working Document, 30.10.2024 SWD(2024) 699 final. https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/1924a044-b30f-48a2-99c1-50edeac14da1_en?filename=Ukraine%20Report%202024.pdf
European Commission (2025). Cohesion Policy. The EU’s main investment policy. https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/what/investment-policy_en
Fiedler, Ch., & Rohles, Ch. (2021). Social Cohesion After Armed Conflict: A Literature Review. Discussion Paper. Bonn, German Development Institute. https://www.idos-research.de/uploads/media/DP_7.2021_1.1.pdf
Fischer, M. (2004). Recovering from violent conflict. In: A. Austin, M. Fischer, & N. Ropers (eds.). Transforming Ethnopolitical Conflict. The Berghof Handbook, VS-Verlag, Wiesbaden, 373–402. https://www.academia.edu/37685139/Recovering_from_Violent_Conflict_by_Martina_Fischer_in_Alexander_Austin_Martina_Fischer_Norbert_Ropers_eds_Transforming_Ethnopolitical_Conflict_The_Berghof_Handbook_VS_Verlag_Wiesbaden_2004_373_402#loswp-work-container
Fonseca, X., Lukosch, S., & Brazier, F. (2018). Social cohesion revisited: a new definition and how to characterize it. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, 32(2), 231–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2018.1497480
Garbe, S. (2024). Solidarity in Context of Global Inequalities. In: Jodhka, S. S., & Rehbein, B. (eds). Global Handbook of Inequality. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97417-6_109-2
Giddings, F. H. (1922). Studies in the Theory of Human Society. New York: Macmillan.
Green, A., & Janmaat, J. G. (2011). Defining Social Cohesion. In: Regimes of Social Cohesion. Education, Economy and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, London. P. 6–20. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230308633_2
Grytsenko, A. А. (2024). Mechanisms for ensuring economic stability and security on the basis of national rootedness of economic development. Economic Theory, 3, 5–23. https://doi.org/10.15407/etet2024.03.005 [in Ukrainian]
Habermas, J. (2015). The Theory of Communicative Action. (1st ed.). Vol. 1. Wiley. https://www.perlego.com/book/1535910/the-theory-of-communicative-action-reason-and-the-rationalization-of-society-volume-1-pdf
Haliv, M. D., & Ilnytskyi, V. I. (2025). The education system of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of post-war reconstruction (late 20th – early 21st century). Р. 260–301. In: Education and science as factors of post-war reconstruction: historical experience, lessons for Ukraine. Riga, Latvia: «Baltija Publishing». http://www.baltijapublishing.lv/omp/index.php/bp/catalog/book/601 [in Ukrainian]
Heyets, V., Burlai, T., & Blyzniuk, V. (2023). Social Resilience of the National Economy Through the Prism of the Experience of the European Union and Ukraine. Economic Theory, 3, 5–43. https://doi.org/10.15407/etet2023.03.005 [in Ukrainian]
IASQ (International Association on Social Quality) Board (2024, December). Basic Principles of the Social Quality Perspective: Its Configuration of Four Frameworks as a Starting Point for New Global Political Strategies. https://socialquality.org/wp-content/uploads/IASQ-Basic-Principles-Dec2024.pdf
ISNASU (Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). (2024). Ukrainian Society in Wartime. Year 2024. Kyiv. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bqw3rZ3ajsNJ2l7zBQL5uRjAWO030EYk/view [in Ukrainian]
Kostrytsia, V., & Burlai, T. (2023). Current Priorities of Social Development: Impact of Global Transformations and Ukraine’s Tasks in the (Post)War Period. Economy of Ukraine, 66(4(737), 97–116. https://doi.org/10.15407/economyukr.2023.04.097 [in Ukrainian]
Kostrytsia, V., Burlai, T., & Blyzniuk, V. (2024). Deformations of the institution of social dialogue in Ukraine as a factor of social desolidarization. Economic Theory, 3, 24–53. https://doi.org/10.15407/etet2024.03.024
Land, T., et al. (2022). HDP Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities for its Implementation Final Report. European Commission. https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-05/eu-hdp-nexus-study-final-report-nov-2022_en.pdf
Manca, A. R. (2014). Social Cohesion. In: Michalos, A. C. (eds). Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. P. 6026–6028. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2739
Margaras, V., & Alvarez, E. (2025, January). The future of cohesion policy: Current state of the debate. European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/767217/EPRS_BRI(2025)767217_EN.pdf
Miller, D. (2017). Solidarity and Its Sources. In: K. Banting, & W. Kymlicka (eds). The Strains of Commitment: The Political Sources of Solidarity in Diverse Societies. Oxford Academic. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198795452.003.0002
Ministry of Economy of Ukraine (2025, April 01). Ukraine receives EUR 3.5 billion from EU under Ukraine Facility. Government Portal. https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/ukraina-otrymala-35-mlrd-ievro-vid-ies-u-mezhakh-prohramy-ukraine-facility
Mygal, M. (2022, June). Research on the practices of reconstruction after destruction: Croatia. Institute of Analytics and Advocacy. https://iaa.org.ua/en/articles/doslidzhennya-praktyk-vidnovlennya-krayin-pislya-rujnacziyi-horvatiya/
NASU (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). (2025, March 06). Meeting of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine on March 5, 2025. https://www.nas.gov.ua/news/zasidannya-prezidi-nacionalno-akademi-nauk-ukrani-5-bereznya-2025-roku [In Ukrainian]
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). (2011). Perspectives on global development 2012: Social cohesion in a shifting world. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/persp_glob_dev-2012-en
OECD (2022). The Humanitarian–Development–Peace Nexus. Interim Progress Review. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/2f620ca5-en
OECD (2024). DAC Recommendation on the Humanitarian–Development–Peace Nexus. OECD/LEGAL/5019. https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/public/doc/643/643.en.pdf
OHCHR (UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights). (n.d.). Independent Expert on Human Rights and International Solidarity. https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/ie-international-solidarity
Palahnyuk, O. (2021). Social solidarity in the context of searching ways to achieve and preserve the integrity of society: interdisciplinary analysis. Problems of Political Psychology, 24(1), 83–103. https://doi.org/10.33120/popp-Vol24-Year2021-66
Pichon, E. (2025, April). Understanding the Triple Nexus: The challenges of creating synergies between humanitarian, development and security policies. European Parliamentary Research Service. https://epthinktank.eu/2025/04/23/understanding-the-triple-nexus-the-challenges-of-creating-synergies-between-humanitarian-development-and-security-policies/
Pieńkowski, J., & Berkowitz, P. (2016). Econometric assessments of Cohesion Policy growth effects: How to make them more relevant for policymakers? Р. 55–68. In: Bachtler, J., Berkowitz, P., Hardy, S., & Muravska, T. (Eds.). EU Cohesion Policy: Reassessing Performance and Direction (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315401867
Pisica, R., & Crudu, R. (2024). Inclusiveness and growth in the EU: a shift from pro-poor to pro-employed at risk of poverty approach. Economy and Sociology, (2), 46–58. https://doi.org/10.36004/nier.es.2024.2-05
Puljiz, J., Maleković, S., & Keser, I. (2019). Cohesion Policy in Croatia: What Have We Accomplished So Far? In: Petak, Z., & Kotarski, K. (eds). Policy-Making at the European Periphery. New Perspectives on South-East Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73582-5_15
Ritzen, J., & Woolcock, M. (2000). Social cohesion, public policy and economic growth: implications for countries (English). Washington, DC: World Bank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/914451468781802758
Rubio, E., Alcidi, C., & Andersson, F. (2024, September). EU cohesion policy post-2027: Why and how to enhance flexibility. Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). https://cdn.ceps.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ID-A_2024-13_cohesion-policy.pdf.
Sangiovanni, A., & Viehoff, J. (2023). Solidarity in Social and Political Philosophy. In: The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2023 Edition). E. N. Zalta, & U. Nodelman (eds.). https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2023/entries/solidarity/
Sidenko, V. R. (2024). Global trends of inclusive development: challenges and opportunities for Ukraine. Ukrainian Socìum, 3–4, 13–34. https://doi.org/10.15407/socium2024.03-04.013 [in Ukrainian]
Sommer, Ch. (2019). Social cohesion and economic development: unpacking the relationship. IDOS Briefing Papers, 16/2019. German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS). https://doi.org/10.23661/bp16.2019
Sorokin, P. A. (1962). Society, culture, and personality: their structure and dynamics; a system of general sociology. New York: Cooper Square Publishers. https://archive.org/details/societyculturepe0000unse/page/2/mode/2up
Stepanenko, V. (2024). Round Table “Solidarization of Ukrainian Society in War and Prospects for Preserving Solidarity Social Potential”. Sociology: Theory, Methods, Marketing, 4, 165–206. https://stmm.in.ua/archive/ukr/2024-4/10.pdf [in Ukrainian]
Touraine, A. (2000). Can We Live Together? Equality and Difference. Cambridge: Polity Press.
UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). (2020). Strengthening social cohesion: Conceptual framing and programming implications. https://www.undp.org/publications/strengthening-social-cohesion-conceptual-framing-and-programming-implications
UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe). (2023). Social Cohesion: Concept and Measurement. ECE/CES/STAT/2023/8. https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2023-12/2317603_E_ECE_CES_STAT_2023_8_WEB.pdf
UNDP Office in Ukraine (2024, December). Social Cohesion in Ukraine: Key Trends based on reSCORE 2024. https://www.undp.org/ukraine/publications/social-cohesion-ukraine-key-trends-based-rescore-2024
UNDP (2025, 25 February). Ukraine – Fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4): February 2022 – December 2024 (English). https://www.undp.org/ukraine/publications/ukraine-fourth-rapid-damage-and-needs-assessment-rdna4-february-2022-december-2024-english
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2025, January). Ukraine: Summary of the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the Regional Refugee Response Plan. https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/ukraine/ukraine-summary-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-and-regional-refugee-response-plan-january-2025-enuk
European Union (2012). Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Document 12012E/TXT. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2012/oj/eng
Van der Maesen, L. J. G., & Walker, A. (eds.). (2012). Social Quality: From Theory to Indicators. Palgrave Macmillan London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-230-36109-6
Van der Maesen, L. J. G., Nijhuis, H. G. J., & Westbroek, J. (2023, December). Global and Regional Challenges: The Necessity of a Substantiated Concept of ‘The Social’. Ideas on the ‘Social Quality Perspective’ and the Architecture of the four Frameworks. IASQ Working Paper, 20. https://socialquality.org/wp-content/uploads/WPnr.20Theory.pdf
Reznicenko V. (2025, January 08). The level of deep poverty in Ukraine has increased 7 times in two years, — expert. Focus. [In Rus]. https://focus.ua/economics/687397-bednost-v-ukraine-uroven-glubokoy-bednosti-srez-v-7-raz-za-2-goda
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
