The relationship between the state and society in Ukraine is shaped by two mutually reinforcing legacies. The first is the perception of the state as an instrument of coercion — something to be avoided rather than engaged. The second is the logic of patronage, in which each electoral cycle brings new promises to society. Both produce the same outcome: trust between state and citizen does not accumulate.

Mobilisation, European integration, and post-war reconstruction are not separate challenges — they are different entry points into a single question: what kind of state can Ukraine build, and are citizens willing to own it? As long as this question remains unanswered, the state speaks from a position of weakness, and society looks for alternatives.

The Frontier Institute investigates the conditions under which a shift to a horizontal model becomes possible, and develops applied solutions for its realisation — one in which the state articulates its real capacity, citizens take on genuine responsibility, and institutional resilience is the product of shared agency.

Results 

• Qualitative research on the ethical framework of the public sector: in-depth interviews and focus groups with civil servants across levels and categories
• First empirical body of material on institutional culture in Ukraine’s public service

2026: full programme launch

• Series of regional roundtables “Citizen and State: A Shared Account” — Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Rivne, Kyiv
• Building a diagnostic map: how structural tension between state and society manifests at the level of specific communities and regions
• Engaging regional stakeholders — business, civil society, local government

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