The Problem of Ukrainian Army’s Strategic Communications Formation in the Context of NATO Documents

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to investigate the possible gaps in the strategic communications system proposed by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, trying to suggest also the ways to reconcile the possible divergences. Methodology. The study uses a comparative analysis to compare the key points of the Strategic Communications Concept of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as the NATO Strategic Communications Concept. Based on the differences revealed by the method of ideal modeling, the accents are proposed that should be considered when making changes to the existing document and developing such normative legal acts. Results/Achievements. In 2017, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine introduced the system of strategic communications as a response to Russian aggression at the state level. In this regard, a document called the Strategic Communications Concept of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the Concept) was signed, which was supposed to contain a technological approach to counteracting information challenges, risks and threats, in particular, in the context of ATO / OOS. However, this study showed that the document contained a number of omissions, in particular, the focus was on the issue of the audience of strategic communications, channels of distribution of key messages in accordance with the existing narrative, the narrative in particular, and the use of the latest technologies by the actors in implementation of strategic communications. Consequently,o we have proposed some emphasis for further improvement of this document, which should reflect strategic nature, and can be used to develop such normative acts in the case of information security.