On December 20, the foreign ministries of Denmark, Estonia, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom announced the establishment of the Tallinn Mechanism, whose task will be to provide digital support for Ukraine and strengthen its cybersecurity.
Russian hacker attacks on Ukraine’s state systems and critical infrastructure are part and parcel of the ongoing war, but Kyiv will receive digital support and help regarding cybersecurity.
It is worth noting that the Tallinn Mechanism was created in response to Russia’s aggression on Ukraine. Its mission will be to coordinate cooperation and facilitate efforts to build Ukraine’s civilian capacity to maintain its fundamental right to self-defense in cyberspace and to meet its long-term digital resilience needs.
The Foreign Ministry has stressed that the Mechanism includes activities that while separate are complementary to military efforts to build cybernetic capabilities and contribute to the develop Ukraine’s civilian digital abilities. In this regard, the mechanism provides for routine interaction with other donor initiatives to ensure mutual coordination and avoid conflicts between projects.
The members of the Mechanism intend to improve the coordination and delivery of civilian capacity-building assistance in cyberspace. The members intend to cooperate with the EU and NATO in this area. The private sector and non-governmental actors are also encouraged to participate in the initiative.
It is interesting that even before the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Polish Ministry of Digitalization took measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of cybersecurity.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Jacek Perzyński