Lithuanian Annual Strategic Review

War rarely announces itself politely; instead, it abruptly restructures systems that once appeared routine into matters of existential urgency. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than in Ukraine’s railway network. Since the full-scale invasion of February 24, 2022, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) has evolved from a largely invisible economic backbone into a central artery of national survival. This article examines how the railway system absorbed simultaneous shocks, including military attacks, infrastructural collapse, and a minus 44.3% contraction in the transport sector while maintaining operational continuity under extreme wartime pressure. Drawing upon statistical data, policy documents, and theoretical insights from resilience and vulnerability research, the analysis situates railway infrastructure at the intersection of logistics, geopolitics, and humanitarian response. The study argues that Ukraine’s railway system represents not merely a resilient infrastructure but a strategically transformative mechanism that catalyzed a structural shift in international freight flows, enabling rail to partially replace maritime routes that previously dominated export logistics. The article contributes to transport resilience scholarship by illustrating how large-scale conflict accelerates adaptation cycles, strengthens institutional learning, and redefines the operational role of railway systems in contested environments.

This article analyses the challenges and perspectives of the European Union's security and defence policy in a new geopolitical era shaped by Russian aggression against Ukraine, growing US-China rivalry, and instability in the EU's neighbourhood. It identifies three key weaknesses that limit the Union's strategic autonomy: insufficient military capabilities, the fragmentation of the defence industry, and a reliance on external suppliers of weapons, equipment, and critical raw materials. Drawing on an interdisciplinary framework that combines political economy, political science, European studies, and security studies, the article examines how existing tools and initiatives, the EDF, PESCO, ASAP, EDIRPA, and the ReArm Europe plan, are responding to these deficits. While these instruments and initiatives demonstrate the EU's ambition to strengthen its security role, their effectiveness remains limited by political divergences and restricted resources. The author concludes that overcoming fragmentation and building sustainable mechanisms for defence cooperation are essential if the EU is to establish itself as a credible security actor in a multipolar world.

This paper explores the potentialities and constraints of building the European Union's strategic autonomy in a new geopolitical era marked by the rivalry between the United States and China, the weakening of the multilateral order, and the consequences of the war in Ukraine. The authors primarily focus on the political, economic, and technological dimensions of autonomy, utilising relevant scientific methods within an interdisciplinary research framework, primarily the analytical-synthetic method, content and comparative analysis, as well as the scenario approach. The findings indicate that the EU is capable of progressively reducing its dependency through the diversification of resources, investments in development, research, and innovation, and the strengthening of digital and technological sovereignty. Simultaneously, however, the Union faces serious limitations, the fiscal constraints of the Member States, the fragmentation of its foreign and security policy, and a persistent reliance on the United States in the area of defence. The EU’s future position will therefore hinge on its ability to consolidate its economic and technological potential and transform it into a unified political will and a credible geopolitical power.

Crises can originate from many factors, including intrapsychic, relational, and environmental elements, pervasively affecting individuals throughout their lives. The paper focuses on the intricate nature of crises, their diverse origins, and the subjective reactions they elicit. It emphasizes developing adaptive coping strategies, cultivating self-efficacy, and fostering social support networks to navigate and transcend crises effectively. Understanding the multidimensional aspects of emergencies and employing resilient responses is crucial for individuals to thrive in adversity.

The article presents the problem of selected aspects of social security in Poland. A source of motivation to address the issue of social security for the author was the geopolitical situation related to the increase in the number of Muslim immigrants in Europe in recent years and the current COVID-19 epidemic. Counteracting the threats of a social nature has become one of the main activities of the state in the 21st century. Social security relates to a wide range of activities carried out by the public administration, NGOs and the local communities to guarantee decent living conditions. All of this constitutes a special kind of security, the lack of which directly interferes with the foundations of a nation’s existence. The aim of the study was to present issues related to the depopulation process affecting Poland and the demographically unfavourable changes taking place in modern families. The article presents the situation prior to the emergence of the COVID-19 epidemic. Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 epidemic will significantly affect social security, also in the demographic dimension. However, the overall impact of the epidemic can only be estimated after it has completely ceased. Conclusions included in the article were formulated on the basis of the analysis of statistical data of the Central Statistical Office. In addition, the author points out the consequences resulting from a long-term demographic collapse in the country.