The Industrial Reconstruction of Ukraine and the New Geography of European Defence

The war in Ukraine has reshaped the European defence landscape, triggering a structural transformation of its industrial and technological foundations. The distinction between military and civilian production has largely dissolved, as Ukraine’s survival now depends on integrating innovation, security, and economic development into a single framework. The government’s declared objective is to build a self-sufficient defence complex capable not only of meeting national security needs but also of supplying advanced military technologies to Europe’s allies. With NATO membership still uncertain, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s strategy relies on creating an interlinked network of industrial partnerships that would turn Ukraine from an aid-dependent nation into a producer of strategic capabilities. In this sense, reconstruction is not conceived as a post-war phase but as a simultaneous process of productive conversion and technological consolidation conducted under wartime conditions.