National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

As of January 2026, the National Security and Defence Council consists of the following members: == Functions ==

Sanctions against Ukrainian citizens The sanctions policy of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) has been widely criticized for the application of personal restrictive measures against Ukrainian citizens without a court ruling, which violates the Constitution of Ukraine and fundamental principles of the rule of law. Sanctions are imposed by NSDC resolution based on the Law “On Sanctions”, but the mechanism does not provide for judicial involvement, which contradicts legal standards of the European Union and other democratic states. Human rights organizations, including the Center for Civil Liberties, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, and the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, have pointed out the unconstitutional nature of this practice. They emphasize that the NSDC is a political body and lacks the authority to carry out quasi-judicial functions. oligarchs Ihor Kolomoyskyi and Gennadiy Bogolyubov, journalist Svitlana Kryukova, former presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych, and businessman Kostyantyn Zhevago. International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have voiced similar criticism, stating that sanctions are being “systematically used as a tool of political persecution.” ==History==

, Kyiv. Defense Council The Defense Council was created by the provision of Supreme Council of Ukraine #1658-12 on October 11, 1991. The Defense Council was defined as the highest state body of collegiate governing on matters of defense and security of Ukraine with following goals: • Protecting sovereignty • Constitutional order • Territorial integrity and inviolability of the republic • Developing strategies and continuous improvement of policy in sphere of defense and state security • Comprehensive scientific assessment of the military threat nature • Determining position toward modern warfare • Effective control over the execution of the tasks of the state and its institutions keeping defense capabilities of Ukraine at the level of defense sufficiency On January 23, 1992, the President of Ukraine appointed Myroslav Vitovsky as a secretary of the Defense Council, a position which Vitovsky held until November 30, 1995. Initial composition • Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ukraine • Prime Minister of Ukraine • President of Ukraine The agency's membership is determined by the President, but it must include the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Defense, Minister of Internal Affairs, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ==Secretaries since 1994==