The Paris Defence and Strategy Forum took place in France from 24 to 26 March 2026, with NAKO Executive Director Olena Tregub among the participants. The international event is organized by the French Ministry of Defence under the patronage of President Emmanuel Macron.
According to Olena Tregub, this year’s forum reflected a shift in Europe’s security policy approach. Participants discussed the concept of “total defence,” which emphasizes the involvement of all sectors — including civil society, the private sector, and the academic community.
“European countries look to Ukraine as a practical example, seeing that much of the innovation in the war has come from outside traditional military structures. The Ukrainian case shows that civil society can be a source of critical solutions — from drone development and aerial reconnaissance to the creation of public oversight tools,” Tregub said.
Ukraine’s experience was highlighted in the panel “The Democracy Arsenal: Ukraine’s Civic Power against Putin.” The discussion focused on unarmed civilian-based defence and the interaction between civil society and institutional defence systems. The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission co-organized the panel.
“I spoke about the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defence, because anti-corruption and good governance are, in fact, part of defence. When we improve procurement processes and combat corruption, we strengthen our overall defence capability,” Olena Tregub shared.
Panel participants included:
- Olena Tregub, Executive Director, The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission;
- Tomas Godliauskas, Deputy Minister of Defense, Lithuania;
- Felipe Daza Sierra, Professor, Sciences Po, Field Researcher on unarmed civilian-based defense in Ukraine depuis 2022;
- Andrii Ordynovych, retired Ukrainian Colonel, representative of the Ukrainian Freedom Fund, former military attaché at the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA;
- Svitlana Kobzar, Officer, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division at NATO HQ.
Moderator: Amber French-Griette, wartime civic resistance SME, co-founder & director of ONM.
