Nordic Ukraine Advocacy Summit Report
In 2025, Nordic Ukraine Forum, in collaboration with Stockholm School of Economics, conducted a study of Ukrainian civil society organizations (CSOs) operating across the Nordic-Baltic region (NB8) and Ukraine.
The study is based on a structured survey of 17 Ukrainian advocacy organizations. It is supplemented by the discussions and outcomes from the Nordic Ukraine Advocacy Summit , held in Oslo in June 2025, with 30 participating CSOs. Together, these sources provide a unique overview of how Ukrainian advocacy CSOs’ mission and role are evolving within Europe’s political and civic landscape since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
A central theme emerging from the data is the active and growing role of these organizations in supporting Ukraine’s European Union integration. Three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, humanitarian assistance and advocating for international military support remain vital components of their work, but many Ukrainian CSOs in the NB8 and Ukraine are now shifting into initiatives directly tied to Ukraine’s EU accession goals. This shift reflects a broader transition from emergency response to long-term civic engagement.
The findings also show that many of these CSOs view Ukraine’s EU integration not only as a national priority for Ukraine, but as a shared civic project that binds Ukraine and the diaspora. Through political advocacy, media outreach, and cross-border cooperation, these CSOs contribute to shaping public narratives, strengthening institutional partnerships, and ensuring continued European support for Ukraine.
However, this study also identifies persistent structural challenges. Chief among them are unstable sources of funding, volunteer burnout, and limited institutional capacity. Coordination and joint-initiatives between CSOs is frequent but remains largely informal. Participants at the 2025 Oslo summit emphasized the need for stronger collective engagement and sustainable partnerships to maintain and expand advocacy efforts.
The way forward requires targeted investment in organizational capacity, skills development, and sustainable funding streams, paired with mechanisms to strengthen coordination between NB8-based and Ukraine-based CSOs. The planned Nordic Ukraine Advocacy Forum (NUAF) offers a promising vehicle for this, with potential to institutionalize cooperation, facilitate knowledge exchange, and build enduring partnerships.
Ukrainian advocacy organizations in Ukraine and the NB8 are no longer peripheral actors; they are strategic partners in shaping Ukraine’s political, security, and cultural landscape. Supporting their stability, professionalism, and integration into both EU policy processes and civic life is essential not only for Ukraine, but for the democratic resilience of Europe as a whole.
This study was made possible by the Swedish Institute’s 2024 Ukraine Project Preparation Grant
