Ukrainian veterans and soldiers have consistently identified stable employment, housing, and financial support as their top postwar priorities - yet Ukrainian civilians believe mental health treatment should come first, revealing a disconnect that risks undermining the country's entire reintegration effort.
Dara Massicot, a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has highlighted this mismatch in an analysis for Foreign Affairs, "Hvylya" reports.
When polled, Ukrainian veterans are "quite practical about their postwar needs," Massicot writes, with their top concerns being finding well-paying employment, securing housing, and - for disabled soldiers - receiving sufficient financial support for themselves and their families. Having these material needs met "is the foundation on which they can address other concerns, such as their mental health." Civilians, in contrast, rate mental health support as the top priority, placing material needs lower.
This disconnect feeds a pattern Massicot describes as a gap between "those civilians who believe returning soldiers need pity or handouts and veterans who prefer respect and opportunities for self-sufficiency." Many veterans will come home hoping to start businesses, put new skills to use, or expand their education - "in other words, transition to as normal a postwar life as possible."
The concept of veteran resilience - that soldiers can return stronger and more focused from their wartime experiences - remains poorly understood by the civilian population, even as the public becomes more aware of wounded veterans' rehabilitation needs. Massicot argues that tailored support policies emphasizing resilience and independence, combined with public messaging that conveys veterans' true priorities, are key to bridging this gap.
Ukraine's veteran population could reach two million when the war ends, making the success of reintegration a defining factor in the country's postwar trajectory.
See also: The "Firefighter" Dilemma: Why Victories of Ukraine's Elite Units Create a Hidden Front-Line Threat.