President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggests that the future Ukrainian Doctrine should include a policy of heroes aimed at meeting the needs of combatants and war veterans. The Head of State said this when presenting the guidelines of the Doctrine at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on the occasion of the Constitution Day of Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian state needs new principles of gratitude to you, gratitude to all those who fought in the war for Ukraine's freedom and independence. The invaluable experience of Ukrainian warriors should be effectively used in the process of ensuring real security for the world,” the President said.
Among the components of the policy of heroes, Volodymyr Zelenskyy named ensuring the state's demand for warriors who want to continue serving Ukraine and the people after the war is over.
A platform should also be developed to export Ukrainian defense knowledge, practices, and experience gained by our troops during hostilities.
"Ukrainians will be able to share their successful experience of effective defense against full-scale aggression in peacekeeping missions, particularly under the auspices of the UN, international training missions, etc., because after the victory we will have even more of such important and valuable experience... All this is a huge opportunity for Ukraine and our heroes," the Head of State is convinced.
The unique combat experience should also be used in the new system of military education in Ukraine, the President noted.
“Ukrainian warriors and all those who train Ukrainian warriors should know that real practice will be the basis of the new Ukrainian military education. The state will integrate the training programs that have now proven their effectiveness, as well as the real combat experience of our soldiers and sailors, sergeants, foremen, officers, and our generals, into the military education system,” he said.
In addition, the President believes that full integration of veterans into the social and economic life of the country should be ensured, in particular by means of acquiring a related civilian specialty, creating a system of support for warriors and their families based on the principle "equal with equal".
“The state must create a system of support for the warriors and the families of our warriors that will guarantee them that their every emotion and need will be understood by the person helping them, because this person has gone through the war, has gone through losses, has gone through everything that needs to be understood to be effective in integrating veterans into social and economic life. Warriors are the most effective helpers for other warriors, and the relatives of our warriors are the most effective helpers for other relatives of warriors,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President also called for the introduction of a real national standard of the barrier-free environment for heroes: new requirements for urban planning, infrastructure, public space, transport, social and educational systems, and business environment.
“Ukraine needs to create the strongest rehabilitation industry in Europe. This applies to both the construction of rehabilitation centers and the training of relevant personnel. The state will facilitate the creation of the necessary number of jobs not only to provide rehabilitation for our people, but also to enable us to become a global exporter of practices of recovery and integration into post-war life for absolutely everyone who has experienced and suffered from war,” the Head of State said.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine should implement the world's best practices and the most effective policies so that Ukrainians do not have to endure the pain, stress and trauma of war.
“In particular, we must finally fairly legalize cannabis-based medicines for all those who need them, with appropriate scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production,” the President added.
Veterans should also be involved in the civil service in Ukraine, and should be part of councils at various levels, including the Verkhovna Rada.
“Hiring veterans is an honor for any business. Helping veterans start their own business is an honor for the state, for every community, for every business association, and for anyone who knows what it means to be at war. And this should not be a dream, it should be a reality in Ukraine,” he said, adding that it should become a large-scale national task.
According to the Head of State, the culture of heroes, including the memorialization of the war and the experience of Ukraine's victory, should become an important component of the policy of heroes.
“Creating a Pantheon of Heroes and a National Military Cemetery. Establishment of a National Museum of the Russian-Ukrainian War and a system of local museums that will honor the memory of the war and preserve the experience of victory for future generations of the Ukrainian people,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
It is also about creative reflection on the experience of the war, exporting the experience of our victory through culture, creating an official history of the war, defining a national canon of interpretation of the war with Russia - the participants in the war, its key events, stages, Russian war crimes and achievements of the Ukrainian resistance.
“A new cultural policy regarding our heroes of different times who fought for Ukraine's freedom and independence, and the reburial in Ukraine of all our heroes who are buried abroad. This is very important,” the Head of State stressed.
