Topic: 2025 – Reducing Recruitment Capabilities of Terrorist Groups
Country: Ukraine
Delegate Name: Tejasvi Annadurai
Disarmament and International Security Committee
Reducing the Recruitment Capabilities of Terrorist Groups
Ukraine
Tejasvi Annadurai
Forest Hills Northern
Ukraine believes that disrupting the recruitment capabilities of terrorist entities is one of the most critical elements for world security, given the ability of international terrorism to adapt through digital propaganda, decentralised radicalisation, and exploitation of unstable regions. The situation viewed from Ukraine is deeply informed by its own security challenges following Russia’s ongoing aggression, which has facilitated the rise of violent non state actors in occupied territories. Since 2014, Russia backed armed groups in Crimea and eastern Ukraine have coercively intimidated and applied extremist narratives to forcefully recruit young people and vulnerable civilians. Their activities have been enabled by poverty, lack of access to education, and an absence of stable governance. The destabilisation driven by Russia’s actions has weakened regional security structures, enabling terrorist linked groups to tap into local grievances, increase disinformation, and radicalise individuals via social media and encrypted digital platforms.
Ukraine firmly believes that terrorism and foreign-backed armed extremism need to be treated as interconnected threats by the international community. The same mechanisms that empower ISIS, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, and other globally recognised terrorist groups-economic desperation, propaganda, and lack of institutional presence-are exploited by armed groups acting with external backing in Europe and around the world. Ukraine has striven to counter these trends through national reforms on cybersecurity, community resilience, and protection of vulnerable populations. Domestically, Ukraine enhanced anti-terrorism legislation, widened intelligence cooperation with NATO and EU partners, and enhanced digital literacy programs as a means of reducing vulnerability to online recruitment. Internationally, Ukraine supported UN Security Council resolutions addressing counterterrorism financing, extremist recruitment, and technology misuse for the purpose of radicalisation. Ukraine continues to call for accountability for states that indirectly or directly assist armed extremist groups through money, weapons, or safe havens.
Ukraine calls on the international community to adopt a more comprehensive strategy toward the reduction of terrorist recruitment through prevention, resilience, and accountability. Ukraine urges the member states to further develop information sharing systems to monitor digital recruitment networks and establish joint monitoring programs for social media radicalisation. We believe that much more needs to be invested in education, community support systems, and economic development in conflict affected regions in order to reduce the vulnerability of people to extremist narratives. Ukraine welcomes the creation of a UN led initiative on naming and keeping accountable those states which enable recruitment through disinformation campaigns or arms supplies to violent non state actors. Ukraine encourages capacity building programs that train local leaders, social workers, and educators in the identification of early signs of radicalisation and intervention pathways. Above all, Ukraine is confident that global counterterrorism efforts must remain firmly rooted in respect for human rights, civilian protection, and international law. Reducing recruitment is not only a security challenge but also a humanitarian responsibility, and Ukraine stands ready to cooperate with the regional and global partners to safeguard peace and stability.
Works Cited:
“Statement on International Terrorism – Ukraine.” United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/ga/sixth/71/pdfs/statements/int_terrorism/ukraine.pdf
“The Effects of the Russia–Ukraine War on Counterterrorism.” Turkish National Defence University (TNDU). https://www.tmmm.tsk.tr/publication/researches/20-UKR_RUSwarEffectsCT.pdf
“2024 National Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment.” U.S. Department of the Treasury. https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/2024-National-Terrorist-Financing-Risk-Assessment.pdf
“EU SOCTA 2025 – Strategic Organized Crime Threat Assessment.” Europol. https://www.europol.europa.eu/cms/sites/default/files/documents/EU-SOCTA-2025.pdf
“Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 – Ukraine Section.” U.S. Department of State. https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/105904.pdf
“Global Terrorism Index 2020.” Institute for Economics and Peace. https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GTI-2020-web-2.pdf
“External Impacts and the Extremism Question in the War in Ukraine.” Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/external-impacts-and-the-extremism-question-in-the-war-in-ukraine-considerations-for-practitioners/
“Global Terrorism Index 2025.” Institute for Economics and Peace. https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Global-Terrorism-Index-2025.pdf
