'Serve or help' principle must anchor new social contract – Civil-Military Movement coordinator
A fair distribution of the war's burden across all sectors of society is essential for national survival, and the "serve or help" principle should form the moral and legal foundation of a new social contract, according to veteran and Civil-Military Movement (CMM) coordinator Oleksiy Ivashyn. Speaking at a public discussion titled "Mobilization and Trust" at Interfax-Ukraine on Friday, Ivashyn emphasized that every citizen must have a recognized, equivalent form of participation in state defense.
Ivashyn noted that the concept of "defense democracy" developed by the Ukrainian Security Club asserts that while not every citizen can serve in the military without making society unviable, everyone must contribute to the front from their respective positions. He warned that the gap between the front lines and the rear—where those in combat serve indefinitely while others lead normal lives—creates a fragile social unity that Russia continues to exploit. He stressed that the current mobilization crisis poses a lethal threat to national security and the state's very existence.
The CMM coordinator called for a mobilization reform that includes strict oversight of officials, specifically within Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCCs). He argued that TCC staff must face unavoidable punishment for legal violations and that the police should focus on law enforcement rather than assuming roles outside their jurisdiction.
To resolve the mobilization crisis, Ivashyn proposed several concrete steps, including significant material incentives. These include adequate one-time mobilization payments, doubling the current financial allowance for active-duty personnel—a change promised in 2023 but not yet implemented—and a guaranteed social package for draftees and their families. He noted that existing veteran preferences are currently insufficient to attract the manpower required for the military's functional stability.
Ivashyn concluded that while Russian propaganda targets Ukrainian mobilization, it feeds on existing institutional errors that the state must correct. He argued that a fair distribution of responsibility between the front and the rear is the only way to achieve the cohesion necessary to withstand the conflict. He expressed hope that the reforms currently being announced by Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov will address these communication and structural challenges.
