Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, Secretary of the Committee on Integration of Ukraine with the European Union, emphasized the unwavering nature of Ukraine’s course toward membership in the European Union and NATO in his contribution to the Finnish analytical publication Baltic Rim Economies
22 January 2026, 14:30
After the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine made a choice that cannot be reversed — the path toward the European Union and NATO. This is not a slogan, but a strategic decision born of pain, experience, and the understanding that independence cannot exist without a system of security. The price of this choice has been extraordinarily high. And the responsibility to preserve this course — despite war, corruption, and external pressure — rests on our intelligence and security institutions.
A devastated Security Service of Ukraine
When I first entered the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in 2014, after the Revolution of Dignity, I found an empty building — no light, no staff, no leadership. The courtyard was still smoldering with burned documents; inside were the traces of a chaotic escape. Russian intelligence operated openly in Kyiv, with access to Ukrainian databases, defense documents, and personal information. We had to start almost from nothing — recruiting new officers, rebuilding counterintelligence and cyber defense, and restoring public trust.
Building a new security architecture
From the first days of Russian aggression, we relied on the support of our Western partners. The United States — the CIA, the FBI — and NATO member states extended their helping hand. Together, we built a new architecture of security: joint training programs, analytical exchange, cyber operations, and counterterrorism initiatives. This cooperation became the foundation of Ukraine’s modern security system — the framework that sustains our country amid full-scale war. It has greatly enhanced and strengthened our national resilience. I am convinced that we must continue this partnership, deepen it, and move forward — especially now, as Ukraine confronts Russia’s full-scale aggression, with missiles, drones, and ground forces used as instruments of terror against our independence.
Meeting modern security demands
We must fully abandon the Soviet model — in which security services were tools of political pressure — and transform them into institutions that perform counterintelligence and analytical functions strictly within the rule of law. This means building analytical capacity, strengthening cyber defense, and ensuring international interoperability — conditions that make Ukrainian security institutions reliable partners for NATO and a true guarantor of safety for Ukrainian society. Intelligence reform and the renewal of the SBU are key elements of our movement toward NATO. The Alliance is not only about military power; it is about high standards, strategy, coordination, and operational coherence. To stand as an equal partner, we must internalize and apply those very standards.
The strength of our intelligence
Meanwhile, Russia continues to rely on the same old methods I observed long before 2014 — espionage, cyberattacks, and information warfare. Its goal is not only the destruction of infrastructure, but also the corrosion of truth, trust, and unity. That is why the true strength of our intelligence today lies not merely in countering enemy agents, but in anticipating where and how the adversary will attempt to shape public perception. During this war, Ukrainian intelligence has become an integral part of the global security system. We share intelligence with our partners, expose Russian spy networks across Europe, and document war crimes. Ukrainian analysts are already contributing to the strategic decisions of our allies. Our course remains steadfast because it rests not only on political will, but on the professionalism of those who defend the state every day. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and our intelligence community together form the backbone of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration — not as an abstract aspiration, but as a living, evolving process.
Ukraine as the outpost of European security
A devastated Security Service of Ukraine
When I first entered the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in 2014, after the Revolution of Dignity, I found an empty building — no light, no staff, no leadership. The courtyard was still smoldering with burned documents; inside were the traces of a chaotic escape. Russian intelligence operated openly in Kyiv, with access to Ukrainian databases, defense documents, and personal information. We had to start almost from nothing — recruiting new officers, rebuilding counterintelligence and cyber defense, and restoring public trust.
Building a new security architecture
From the first days of Russian aggression, we relied on the support of our Western partners. The United States — the CIA, the FBI — and NATO member states extended their helping hand. Together, we built a new architecture of security: joint training programs, analytical exchange, cyber operations, and counterterrorism initiatives. This cooperation became the foundation of Ukraine’s modern security system — the framework that sustains our country amid full-scale war. It has greatly enhanced and strengthened our national resilience. I am convinced that we must continue this partnership, deepen it, and move forward — especially now, as Ukraine confronts Russia’s full-scale aggression, with missiles, drones, and ground forces used as instruments of terror against our independence.
Meeting modern security demands
We must fully abandon the Soviet model — in which security services were tools of political pressure — and transform them into institutions that perform counterintelligence and analytical functions strictly within the rule of law. This means building analytical capacity, strengthening cyber defense, and ensuring international interoperability — conditions that make Ukrainian security institutions reliable partners for NATO and a true guarantor of safety for Ukrainian society. Intelligence reform and the renewal of the SBU are key elements of our movement toward NATO. The Alliance is not only about military power; it is about high standards, strategy, coordination, and operational coherence. To stand as an equal partner, we must internalize and apply those very standards.
The strength of our intelligence
Meanwhile, Russia continues to rely on the same old methods I observed long before 2014 — espionage, cyberattacks, and information warfare. Its goal is not only the destruction of infrastructure, but also the corrosion of truth, trust, and unity. That is why the true strength of our intelligence today lies not merely in countering enemy agents, but in anticipating where and how the adversary will attempt to shape public perception. During this war, Ukrainian intelligence has become an integral part of the global security system. We share intelligence with our partners, expose Russian spy networks across Europe, and document war crimes. Ukrainian analysts are already contributing to the strategic decisions of our allies. Our course remains steadfast because it rests not only on political will, but on the professionalism of those who defend the state every day. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and our intelligence community together form the backbone of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration — not as an abstract aspiration, but as a living, evolving process.
Ukraine as the outpost of European security
For me personally, this mission began more than a decade ago — to make Ukraine part of a world where freedom, security, and the rule of law are held in the highest regard. Today, Ukraine stands as the outpost of democracy — holding the line against terrorism, cyberattacks, and aggression, defending the free world. We will not turn back. Our goal is not only to win the war, but to build a state where the law serves its citizens and guarantees their rights, protection, and safety. That is the true strength of Ukraine. And it is this that proves: our course toward NATO and the European Union will remain unchanged.