Ensuring legal protection for foreign citizens and individuals who have suffered as a result of Russian aggression must become a systemic element of Ukraine’s state policy. This was stated by Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine and spokesperson for the National Bar Association of Ukraine.

According to him, legal assistance to foreign citizens, journalists, and military personnel who are or were on Ukrainian territory and suffered harm as a result of the aggression must be institutionally regulated at the legislative level.

This is not merely a humanitarian issue, but also concerns the formation of a post-war legal framework and a new system of international security.

Ukraine as Part of a New Europe

The events of recent years have transformed not only Ukraine but all of Europe. Ukraine has effectively become a shield for the European community, and the full-scale war has served as a catalyst for profound political and legal changes.

Under these circumstances, it is particularly important to establish mechanisms for the legal protection of foreign citizens who:

• work in Ukraine as journalists;
• engage in humanitarian or professional activities;
• are participating in the defense of Ukraine;
• have suffered as a result of Russian aggression.

Today, a significant number of foreign military personnel are defending Ukraine—and, consequently, the European security space. At the same time, Russia continues to use international mechanisms, including Interpol tools, to persecute such individuals.

A Legislative Gap

Current Ukrainian legislation does not provide for systematic state legal aid to foreign citizens who have suffered from Russian aggression—whether civilians or military personnel.

This stems from the fact that the legal framework was developed under different historical circumstances. However, today this gap has become critical in light of Ukraine’s international obligations and its integration into the European legal space.

In fact, legal aid to foreigners is currently provided through isolated institutional initiatives rather than as part of state policy.

The Legal Front as Part of the War

Russia’s aggression is not limited to the battlefield. It is also being waged at the informational, political, and legal levels on the international stage. The use of international legal instruments for its own interests is part of this strategy.

That is precisely why the issue of legal protection for foreign citizens who have supported Ukraine or become victims of aggression requires immediate regulatory action—both at the level of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and in coordination with European institutions.

Position of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine

The National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine consistently supports the implementation of systemic changes in public policy that:

• provide for the institutionalization of legal aid for foreign citizens;
• ensure the alignment of national legislation with European standards;
• shape the long-term legal framework of post-war Ukraine.

Legal assistance to foreigners who have suffered from Russian aggression must become a matter of state policy, rather than remaining solely the initiative of individual platforms or civil society institutions.

It is precisely this approach that aligns with Ukraine’s strategic course toward integration into the European legal space and the formation of a new system of international security.