Kostenko called for retaining effective people in the government system
People’s Deputy Roman Kostenko called for not disregarding the experience and initiatives of people who, in his words, have already strengthened the state’s capabilities during a full-scale war. In a column for “Ukrainska Pravda,” the secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence emphasized that such experts should influence decision-making, despite personal disagreements.
Kostenko noted that in February 2022, society, the military, volunteers, the business community, local governments, state agencies, and part of the political class acted as elements of a unified system of resistance. In his view, this period demonstrated the importance of combining civic initiative with the work of state institutions.
The author of the column believes that countering major threats requires strong and adaptable management systems. He called for transforming combat experience into military doctrines, training systems, and defense planning, and for turning the development of defense technology into industrial policy, technological autonomy, and equal partnerships with allies.
Kostenko also emphasized the need to systematically involve civil society in ensuring national resilience, rather than relying on it only during crises. He emphasized that the political system must channel public energy and ensure continuity in decision-making regarding defense, the defense industry, and international cooperation.
“Anyone who has proven their effectiveness should remain in service,” the lawmaker wrote. In his view, combining experience with new ideas will strengthen the state and bring victory closer. Kostenko also expressed the view that in the summer of 2026, the government had strayed from the principle of national unity, which, in his assessment, it had demonstrated in 2022.
