Ukraine must purposefully shape military mindset among young people – expert

This view was expressed in an interview with Ukrinform by Rena Marutian, Director of the Institute for National Resilience and Security, Professor of the Global and National Security Department.

“I may say something unpopular, but this is my conviction: we must form a military mindset among Ukrainian youth, because this war will last for several generations,” she said.

According to Marutian, Ukraine should not be intimidated or deterred by the fact that Russia has created organizations such as Yunarmiya and the Movement of the First. In this context, the professor emphasized that Russia is investing heavily in these initiatives, relying on the concept of a “Russian civilization,” and is already systematically embedding corresponding values into education and culture.

“In ten years, Russia may raise a generation of universal soldiers ready to kill without hesitation anyone who does not belong to this ‘civilization.’ Both Ukraine and Europe must already view this as a serious threat and think about what can be opposed to it: a nation of pacifists and ‘pink ponies,’ or a nation of defenders,” the expert noted.

She added that when she raises this issue in certain circles, she often encounters resistance, with critics saying that this would be the same thing Russia is doing.

“No, it is not the same, because we were attacked and we have the right to defend ourselves. Military identity should become a component of Ukraine’s national system of comprehensive defense. Today, it is necessary to prepare future generations for resistance to the aggressor and to shape a mindset needed to preserve and defend state sovereignty,” Marutian stressed.

As Ukrinform reported, the Prosecutor General’s Office has announced suspicion notices against the curators of the Yunarmiya movement for the militarization of Ukrainian children in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.