Ukraine's Military between East and West
Abstract
Ukraine's geopolitical location positioning it firmly between North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to the west and Russia to the east has demanded that its foreign and security policy take into account its interests in the east and the west. The pro-reform forces in power since the Orange Revolution would like to move Ukraine squarely into the Euro-Atlantic community with only limited deference to Russia in matters where Ukrainian dependency remains unavoidable. Political forces favoring a more neutral stance between east and west or openly in favor of leaning eastward remain formidable. Russia's astute deployment of its national instruments of power in support of these forces will loom large into the indefinite future. Meanwhile, the legacy of the Soviet past still has a great hold on Ukraine's political institutions, society, and bureaucratic culture. Key areas in need of radical reform include the quality and degree of intragovernmental coordination and improving the expertise of civilian defense bureaucrats, along with adapting Soviet-era military experts to the new security environment and democratic political system. Other areas requiring priority attention and resources are the creation of a rational defense planning system and the revamping of personnel policies in accordance with the needs of a professional and expeditionary force. This monograph examines the course of Ukrainian defense reform against the geopolitical backdrop outlined above. The experiences of Ukraine's former Warsaw Pact allies to the west in defense reform may offer lessons that could be applied in support of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. By observing the successes and failures in these cases, one can develop a credible framework for reform in the emerging Ukrainian case.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA468475
Entities
People
- Marybeth Peterson Ulrich
Organizations
- United States Army War College