Fragile Security conference: Ukraine war defining security challenge of our time
At the Fragile Security conference organised by Czech Radio, political, military and intelligence leaders debated Europe’s future security in an increasingly unstable world. Czech President Petr Pavel, Ukrainian envoy Valerii Zaluzhnyi and other prominent international voices warned that Ukraine’s war remains a test of democratic resilience and Western resolve.
For decades, much of Europe lived with the assumption that major war on the continent belonged to history. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine shattered that certainty—and, speakers at Czech Radio’s Fragile Security conference argued, forced a much broader rethinking of what security now means.
The Prague gathering brought together senior political leaders, military commanders, intelligence figures, journalists and civil society voices to debate the changing nature of conflict, democratic resilience, and the future of Europe’s defence.
Czechia’s role in supporting Ukraine
President Petr Pavel used the conference to underline what he sees as the Czech Republic’s practical contribution to Ukraine’s defence—and why that support should continue:
“First, continue the ammunition initiative. This project has become one of the Czech Republic’s most visible contributions to European security. Our country managed to connect partners, logistics, and capacities where they were most needed. The Czech Republic currently provides approximately half of all large-caliber ammunition being delivered for the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces.”
For President Pavel, Czech support is not simply an act of solidarity with a country under attack, but a matter of direct national interest: “For a medium-sized country like the Czech Republic, this is not a short-term tactical position. It is a long-term strategic stance. The understanding that Ukraine’s security is directly linked to our own.”
His argument reflects a broader shift in European thinking: that helping Ukraine defend itself is part of defending the continent as a whole.
Ukraine’s experience as a warning
Russia’s war against Ukraine has also demonstrated how profoundly warfare is changing—not only through new technologies and strategies, but through a brutal war of attrition, in which both sides seek to exhaust the other over time. At the same time, the battlefield extends far beyond the front line, combining open military confrontation with propaganda, disinformation and other hidden efforts designed to weaken an opponent’s will to resist.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and the country’s former commander-in-chief, argued that Europe should see Ukraine not only as a recipient of support, but as a source of hard-earned strategic lessons.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and the country’s former commander-in-chief, argued that Europe should see Ukraine not only as a recipient of support, but as a source of hard-earned strategic lessons:
“Today, from Ukraine’s experience, I can say only this: security, and a state’s ability to provide it, is the foundation not only of stability, but also of economic prosperity. Ukraine’s experience is not only about technological warfare and survival on the battlefield. Our experience is broader and more important: it is about how, in today’s difficult conditions, we must rethink the very foundations of security—and effectively strengthen Europe’s existing security framework. The time for change has come.”
His warning went beyond the battlefield, suggesting that peace and prosperity cannot survive without credible preparedness. That was a theme echoed by Piresident Pavel, who stressed that national resilience begins well beyond armies and weapons.
“The security and defence of the country and all its citizens should absolutely not become a subject of political rivalry,” Pavel said. “I welcome the fact that our government has declared security a strategic priority, along with fulfilling our alliance obligations. But credibility is not built only through what we say and do externally. It begins within society. That is why we must also build our own resilience. The ability not to succumb to manipulation. To maintain trust in our own institutions. And not allow ourselves to be undermined—from outside or from within.”
That emphasis on resilience also featured in comments by Sir Richard Moore, the former head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service, who framed the stakes in global terms:
“The Czech Republic has been one of Ukraine’s most prominent supporters since 2022, and we need to keep that support going. Because if we falter—if we fail to meet this challenge—Putin’s appetite will only grow, and he may be emboldened to take further actions that damage Western security. Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping will be watching closely, drawing conclusions about Western resolve and what that means for China’s actions in the South China Sea and, critically, Taiwan. That is why, for me, Ukraine is the central struggle of our time.”
So, the message emerging from the conference was that Ukraine’s war is no longer only about Ukraine. For many of those gathered, it has become a defining test of Europe’s ability to defend both its security and its democratic values.
