EU-Ukraine: Deepening cooperation on cyber security at 5th Cyber Dialogue

On 9 October, the European Union and Ukraine held their 5th Cyber Dialogue, in Brussels. The exchanges highlighted the importance and depth of the EU-Ukraine cyber partnership, spanning from operational cybersecurity cooperation, alignment to EU norms and policies, to cyber defence and diplomacy, including sanctions. Against the backdrop of Russia's continued war of aggression against Ukraine, the increasingly complex cyber threat landscape, and Ukraine's ongoing EU accession process, the Dialogue reaffirmed the shared determination of the EU and Ukraine to further strengthen cooperation and jointly address persistent and evolving cyber threats.

Participants exchanged on the cyber threat landscape and took stock of recent cybersecurity policy developments. These discussions showed the common understanding between the EU and Ukraine on a broad range of cyber-related issues. The EU and Ukraine exchanged views on the implementation of relevant reforms and Ukraine's approximation to key pillars of the EU legal framework, such as the NIS2 Directive, the Cyber Resilience Act. The participants discussed the advancement on the implementation of the 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox in Ukraine, as a key priority for the security of the telecommunication networks and an economic backbone for the EU and Ukraine's economies.

The Dialogue also addressed operational cooperation, cyber crisis management and cyber defence, and the use of the Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox, as part of the broader response to malicious cyber activities. The EU and Ukraine further discussed operational cooperation in countering cybercrime and support to cybercrime investigations, developments related to the EU Cybersecurity Reserve and ongoing cyber capacity building and assistance, including in the context of the Tallinn Mechanism and in light of the expanded mandate of EUAM Ukraine.

The EU and Ukraine also exchanged views on multilateral cyber discussions, including efforts to promote responsible state behaviour in cyberspace within the newly established UN Global Mechanism, as well as broader discussions on cybercrime in the context of international Conventions. Finally, they discussed the role of public-private partnerships and synergies between the EU and Ukrainian cybersecurity industries in strengthening collective cyber resilience and innovation.

The EU and Ukraine agreed to further deepen their cyber cooperation, with a focus on delivering concrete operational results. In this context, they welcomed the extensive ongoing cooperation between the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and its Ukrainian counterparts. Further to this, to reinforce the cooperation between Ukraine and the EU, representatives of the Cybersecurity Service for European Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies (CERT-EU) and the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP) signed an administrative arrangement during the Dialogue. The aim of the arrangement is to initiate the exchange between CERT-EU and its Ukrainian counterpart, CERT-UA, that will enhance the capabilities of both sides in preventing, detecting and mitigating cyber incidents in their respective constituencies.

The EU reiterated its continued and unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's war of aggression. Ukraine reaffirmed its readiness to continue sharing its unique experience, expertise and operational insights contributing to the EU's efforts to counter state-sponsored cyber threats and malicious cyber activity.

This fifth Dialogue was co-chaired by DG CNECT Deputy Director-General Despina Spanou and Acting Director for Cybersecurity and Trust, Christiane Kirketerp de Viron, and EEAS Director for Security and Defence Policy, Maciej Stadejek, D, and Andrii Droniuk, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister. The Dialogue brought together representative of the External Action Service, European Commission services, ENISA, Europol, the European Security and Defence College, and the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine on the EU side. The Ukrainian delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ministry of Defence, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Office of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, State Service of the Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, Security Service of Ukraine, Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, and the Mission of Ukraine to the EU. EU Member States participated as observers.