Experts still view Ukraine war through the prism of the past - Azov Chief of Staff

RIGA - Experts still view the war in Ukraine through the prism of the past, Lt. Col. Arsen Dmytryk, Chief of Staff of Ukraine's 1st Azov Corps of the Ukrainian National Guard, said in his opening address at the conference "A comprehensive defense concept: strategic communication for societal resilience" at the Saeima on Friday.

He noted that we all have had too little time and enough obstacles from Russia to figure out what this new total war really is and in what new world it is taking place.

"Experts are still looking at this war through the prism of the past, looking for patterns in the 20th century, in the tragedies of the past, and trying to superimpose them on a fundamentally new non-linear architecture of the 21st century. It is like a person looking for an address in a modern megalopolis using a medieval map. In today's megalopolis, one should remember all this to avoid repetition, but there will be no repetition because the city is no longer the same, because the times are different, the threats are different, and the opportunities are different," Dmytryk said.

In his words, the Russo-Ukrainian war, a phenomenon that stubbornly defies conventional analogies, occupies a special place in this discourse.

First of all, Ukraine has become a cornerstone of security, not only in Europe but in the whole new security architecture, Dmytryk believes. "The old institutions are paralyzed, Ukraine is building a new logic of sovereignty defense in real time. A logic in which flexibility and cooperation mean more than formal weapons," the expert said.

Secondly, Ukraine is proving conclusively to the world that all the wars of previous eras, when armies fought armies, have radically changed in the 21st century, and Ukraine is proving that modern war is also a clash of technology and information weapons, the Azov Chief of Staff said.

Although Dmytryk used the term "new total war", he added that this is not a definitive definition, but proof that the necessary language to describe this war is still lacking.

"Knowledge of drones and information operations is not enough. The world needs to understand the long-lasting complex of measures by which Russia has been destabilizing both Ukraine and the world order for decades", Dmytryk said.

According to him, partners are often heard reaffirming a commitment to stand with Ukraine until victory, but at the same time, the question remains about what will happen the day after victory, namely whether faith in Ukraine is unconditional or temporary.

As for the way forward, Dmytryk said that new coalitions are needed, not just military ones but also coalitions that build knowledge on aspects of a new total war that are not fully understood.

"The cognitive dimension of war is one of them, and I think the main message to intellectuals, politicians and people of good will around the world should be this: not just to listen to Ukrainian voices but to make us your equals in dialogue. And above all, practice solidarity by including Ukraine in your vision of the future!" Dmytryk concluded.

As reported, the Saeima today is hosting a conference "A concept of comprehensive defense: strategic communication for societal resilience" to discuss the role of strategic communication in strengthening societal resilience and to assess Ukrainian experience.