National Resistance Will Happen!

Today, July 16, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law No. 5557 on the Foundations of National Resistance. In the second reading, the decision was supported by 313 Members of Parliament.

The law, which Ukrainian society has needed since 2014, was developed through the joint efforts of representatives of various branches of the security forces, veteran organizations, volunteers, and experts, under the overall coordination of the President of Ukraine.

The law incorporates the experience of NATO member states, in particular Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland, modern practices of comprehensive defense, as well as national specifics of organizing resistance to an aggressor.

It provides for the introduction of a system of universal military training for the population, the development of territorial defense and the resistance movement, covering broad segments of Ukrainian society.

The Verkhovna Rada also adopted Law No. 5558 “On the Strength of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” by 312 votes. It provides for an increase in the maximum strength of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by 11,000 personnel: 10,000 for territorial defense and 1,000 for special operations forces. This is aimed at ensuring the implementation of tasks defined by the Law on National Resistance.

The adoption of Laws No. 5557 and No. 5558 is a landmark event for Ukraine, enabling a rapid increase in the country’s defense capabilities amid the Russian-Ukrainian war and threats from the Russian Federation.

One of the key elements defined by the Law on National Resistance is the social and legal protection of participants in territorial defense and the resistance movement.

Earlier, NATO advisers, Ukrainian veterans, and volunteers expressed their support for the Law on National Resistance. The latter organized a rally outside the Verkhovna Rada titled “Veterans Support National Resistance. Vote for Draft Law No. 5557.”

We remind that “national resistance” means involving the entire population in countering aggression, as well as preparing for such resistance. This approach assumes that the defense of Ukraine is a nationwide effort carried out both in government-controlled and temporarily occupied territories. Territorial defense will operate throughout Ukraine outside active combat zones, while the resistance movement will function in temporarily occupied territories. In addition, training citizens of Ukraine is an important contribution to national and patriotic education.