‘Who, if not us?’: civic activism and defence in wartime Ukraine

The article explores why civil society has been able to fulfil certain defence-related functions in wartime Ukraine. Drawing on the literature on civil society development in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as on research on shrinking and changing spaces for civil society in hybrid and authoritarian contexts, we point to the necessity of taking a broad view of civil society and the actors it comprises. Utilizing this lens, we show that civil society actors have created multiple niches in which they can contribute to Ukraine's defence. We find that this has been facilitated by the experience of these actors during and after the Euromaidan (2013–2014). In addition, we find that a sense of existential threat has motivated civic activists to expand their activity despite shrinking and changing spaces for their participation. Ukrainian civil society actors have thus innovated within a wartime context to overcome shrinking spaces and provide a substantive contribution to the country's defence against Russian aggression.