Ukrainian Identity and National Security in the Challenges of Today

Abstract

The article emphasizes the fact that one of the main challenges Ukraine faced after gaining its independence and which hasn’t lost its relevance till today is the question of finding its national identity. Ukrainian identity is the defining basis for the formation of democratic foundations of the society and the Ukrainian nation-state. In the context of the global challenges of 2020, the issue of establishing Ukrainian identity is even more relevant, primarily in the context of national security.Formation of the national identity is a factor in the national security of Ukraine. Ensuring national security has become especially important in the context of global changes and challenges that have arisen in the globalization era. New challenges in the field of national security are primarily related to the crisis in the world economy, the epidemic of coronavirus, increased risk of emergencies of natural and man-made nature. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the new National Security Strategy of Ukraine (2020) deals with counteracting destructive propaganda and the need to develop Ukrainian culture as a basis for consolidating the Ukrainian nation and strengthening its identity.The article analyzes the biggest challenges of 2020: COVID-19, the crisis in the Ukrainian education system, and the demographic crisis. The spread of coronavirus infection has become a large-scale, real global, and at the same time a national threat to Ukraine’s security. It is noted that in modern conditions, Ukrainian education doesn’t meet the modern demands of the individual and society, either the needs of the economy or global trends. The current education system in Ukraine doesn’t take into account today’s challenges, the most significant of which are the coronavirus epidemic and Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. Demographic trends in modern Ukraine can lead to a considerable reduction in the number of Ukrainians and the population of the country by foreign cultural immigrants, who, in turn, will create a challenge to statehood and identity.