NATIONAL RESILIENCE UNDER HYBRID THREATS: COGNITIVE DIMENSION, BRANDING, AND DEFENSE POTENTIAL

Abstract

A comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of national resilience under hybrid threats has been carried out, particularly in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war. The study focuses on the three-pillar concept of national resilience: the cognitive dimension, strategic state branding, and an expanded understanding of defense potential. It is emphasized that modern threats are multidimensional and include military, informational, political, economic, and cultural spheres, which determines the need for an integrated approach to strengthening national resilience.The cognitive dimension of resilience is considered as the ability of society to resist information and psychological attacks by developing critical thinking, media literacy, reflexive understanding of information flows, and creating semantic autonomy. Ukrainian experience in strengthening cognitive resilience has been analyzed. The role of strategic branding as a tool for constructing a common semantic framework and consolidating society around the values of freedom, dignity, and democratic development has been highlighted. The campaign «Ukraine NOW» is analyzed as an example of successful integration of external image-building and internal cognitive mobilization, combining authentic narratives of Ukrainian identity with international communication. The importance of such factors as brand authenticity, multi-level communication with different audiences, and inclusiveness of the national image creation process is underlined.The third important aspect of the research is the expanded understanding of defense potential. It is shown that under hybrid war conditions, defense potential includes not only military capabilities but also information security, moral and psychological resilience of the population, and maintaining the continuous functioning of critical infrastructure. It is emphasized that cognitive mobilization of citizens – through the development of critical thinking, rooting national identity, and consolidating around democratic values – is one of the key factors in strengthening the state's defense potential.It is concluded that only an integrated approach, which synergizes the cognitive dimension, strategic branding, and the expanded concept of defense potential, enables Ukraine to resist hybrid threats, strengthen political subjectivity, and build a foundation for sustainable democratic development. Special attention is drawn to the fact that successful national resilience is impossible without the participation of civil society, support for independent media, flexible state communication policy, and systematic efforts to develop critical thinking skills among the general population. The Ukrainian experience of war and resistance to hybrid threats shows the importance of combining cognitive resilience, symbolic branding policies, and the development of comprehensive defense potential as key conditions for the survival and development of the state in the new security environment.