Ukraine's Foreign And Security Policy 1991-2000

Ukraine's foreign and security policy in the 1990s was aimed at reorienting its key political ties from East to West. The book shows how Ukraine made progress in establishing good relations with its western neighbours as a means of moving closer towards Central European sub-regional and European regional organizations. However, Russia's sheer breadth and depth of its economic and military ties to Ukraine continued to exert such a strong influence that relations with Russia overshadowed Ukraine's relations with all other neighbours, resulting in a foreign and security policy which attempted to counterbalance the competing forces of East and West.

This book analyses Ukraine's relations with each of its neighbours in the 1990s. It examines the degree to which these relations fitted into Ukraine's broad objective of reorienting its key political ties from East to West, and asseses the extent to which Ukraine succeeded in achieving this reorientation. It shows how in the early days of independence Ukraine fought off threats from Russia and Romania to its territorial integrity, and how it made progress in establishing good relations with its western neighbours as a means of moving closer towards Central European sub-regional and European regional organisations. It also shows how the sheer breadth and depth of its economic and military ties to Russia continued to exert such a strong influence that relations with Russia dwarfed Ukraine's relations with all other neighbours, resulting in a foreign and security policy which attempted to counterbalance the competing forces of East and West. Review: 'Wolczuk serves up the most comprehensive, systematic, and balanced assessment of Ukraine's foreign policy currently available.' - Foreign Affairs