Starting on July 1, Italy assumes the role of Leading Nation within the Tallinn Mechanism, succeeding the United Kingdom. For 2026 Italy plans to allocate €1 million for cybersecurity projects in Ukraine, bringing its total contribution under the initiative to €2 million.
“Supporting Ukraine’s cyber security and resilience is a priority of Italy’s foreign policy. It is with such endeavour that Italy joined the Tallinn Mechanism in 2024 and, since then, has been allocating dedicated funds for projects on the ground. During our Chairship, we aim to further enhance the effectiveness of the Mechanism and strengthen the cooperation between Member States, Observers and Ukrainian authorities to the benefit of the people of Ukraine”, Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy declared.
In its new role, Italy aims to deepen cooperation with Ukraine in the digital sphere. Priority areas include strengthening the cybersecurity of governmental entities at national and regional levels, enhancing private sector participation, improving the management of cyber resilience projects, fostering inter-agency cooperation and promoting the broadening of the membership.
“The Tallinn Mechanism has become one of the strongest examples of how trusted international cooperation can deliver tangible results for Ukraine’s cyber resilience. We are deeply grateful to the United Kingdom for its exceptional leadership and substantial contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s cybersecurity during its tenure as Leading Nation. We are equally pleased to welcome Italy to this role and highly appreciate its decision to further expand support for Ukraine. Together, our cooperation with the United Kingdom, Italy and other Tallinn Mechanism member states demonstrates that investing in Ukraine’s cyber resilience means investing in the security and resilience of Europe as a whole. This continuity of leadership sends a clear message that international support for Ukraine remains strong, coordinated, and focused on long-term results,” Andrii Droniuk, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalization stressed.
Italy has already funded two cybersecurity projects worth nearly €900,000 in the Ternopil region. The first project focuses on upgrading network and server infrastructure, the second one aims to establish a secure network using automated security tools. The third project under Italian support will be implemented in the Odesa region. The project will focus on creating a secure information system for a regional information and analytical center. The total budget exceeds €570,000. These projects help modernize digital infrastructure used by local authorities and strengthen the protection of public services.
Signing of a project agreement in the Odesa region
“Russia’s cyber aggression against Ukraine is part of a broader war against European security. That is why the Tallinn Mechanism is of strategic importance: it turns international solidarity into tangible capabilities that strengthen the protection of the state, critical infrastructure, and digital services for citizens. We are grateful to the United Kingdom for its leadership and consistent support, and we welcome Italy as it takes over the chairmanship and look forward to deepening our cooperation with our Italian partners. Our priority is to ensure that every initiative under the Tallinn Mechanism responds to Ukraine’s real needs, delivers measurable results, and strengthens the country’s cyber resilience in the long term,” Vitaly Balashov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for Cybersecurity and Cloud Technologies highlighted.
Beyond infrastructure projects, Italy also supports initiatives that strengthen Ukraine’s cybersecurity ecosystem. This includes the analytical review of Ukraine’s National Cybersecurity System 2025, support of the Junior CTF League Championship in Ukraine, and TM’s booth at the Kyiv International Cyber Resilience Forum.
“The Tallinn Mechanism has become an important tool for strengthening Ukraine’s cyber resilience through trusted international cooperation. We highly appreciate the outstanding leadership of the United Kingdom and its substantial contribution to implementing critical cybersecurity initiatives that have significantly strengthened Ukraine’s institutional capacity and resilience. At the same time, we warmly welcome Italy as the new Leading Nation and highly value its commitment to further strengthening Ukraine’s cybersecurity capabilities and investing in the long-term resilience of our digital infrastructure, which remains an essential component of Europe’s collective security,” Nataliia Tkachuk, Head of the Department of Information Security and Cyber Defense of the Office of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Secretary of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center under the NSDC of Ukraine noted.
The handover of the chairmanship follows the activities undertaken by the United Kingdom during the previous period. In this regard, Italy and the United Kingdom have already contributed significantly under the Tallinn Mechanism framework. Their roles as Leading Nations reflect a growing commitment to helping Ukraine build a more resilient and secure digital environment.
“The Tallinn Mechanism demonstrates that international partners will not stand by in the face of Russian cyber aggression. The UK remains committed to collective action that reinforces deterrence and delivers tangible support to national resilience. This support must continue to be led by Ukraine's priorities and we should be held to account by what we deliver. Only coordinated, practical assistance will strengthen Ukrainian institutions where it matters most: in support of the war effort,” Andrew Penpraze, Head of the FCDO Ukraine Cyber Programme said.
During its chairmanship the United Kingdom funded a number of important initiatives for Ukraine, including projects for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP), and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
The United Kingdom is also implementing the CYFER international technical assistance programme in partnership with the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Under the programme, seven Tallinn Mechanism projects have already been delivered to support Ukrainian government institutions and critical infrastructure.
“Under the CYFER international technical assistance programme, with the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine as the beneficiary, support has been provided for a project to expand the capacity of the national backup storage system for state information resources. Its implementation will increase the capacity of the National Backup Centre for State Information Resources, reduce recovery time following cyberattacks and other incidents, and enable more government institutions and critical infrastructure facilities to connect to the system. This is another important step towards strengthening the country's cyber resilience,” Yuliia Volkova, Director of the Department for European Integration and International Cooperation at the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine outlined.
In addition, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides financial support for the work of the TMPO in 2026. The UK contribution has also helped increase awareness of the Tallinn Mechanism among cybersecurity stakeholders. This support enabled the co-funding of TMPO’s booth at the Kyiv International Cyber Resilience Forum, the participation of a Ukrainian delegation in CYBER UK, and the organization of the Tallinn Mechanism General Meeting in London in March 2026.
The Tallinn Mechanism was established by Ukraine’s partners in December 2023 to coordinate international assistance aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s national cybersecurity and cyber resilience. It unites 14 countries: Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union, NATO, and the World Bank participate as official observers. The Tallinn Mechanism is chaired by Leading Nations chosen on a rotating basis for a six-month term. In the first part of 2026, the United Kingdom holds the chairmanship.
The TMPO team, based in Ukraine, coordinates the implementation of activities and supports collaboration between Ukrainian institutions and international partners. TMPO is currently funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, and EU CyberNet. TMPO works closely with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the State Service of Special Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center.
We are grateful to the United Kingdom for its outstanding work over the past six months and look forward to deepening our cooperation with Italy.
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