Granì (Jan 2017)
Ukraine-NATO relations in the Russian social and political thought in the 1990s
Abstract
The article is devoted to the attitude of the Russian public and political elite to the political and military cooperation between Ukraine and NATO during the 1990s. The issues relate to the internal debate arose by Russia around the political and military cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. It is determined that Ukraine and Russia, after the Soviet collapse and organization of political contacts with NATO, take part in the formation of a collective security system in Europe. For Ukraine cooperation with NATO also made it possible to strengthen its national homeland security. Determined that the attitude of the Russian political elite of Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO was changing and depended on Ukraine’s participation in integration projects initiated by the Russian Federation. The reluctance of Ukraine to participate in common military projects with the Russian military structures, being members of SND, against cooperation with NATO, the majority of Russian politicians regarded as part of the hostile policy of the neighbor country. It proved that the policy of NATO expansion in Central and Eastern Europe had great influence on relations between Ukraine and Russian Federation. Substantiates that the policy of developing NATO-Ukraine relations was one of the main arguments of opponents of signing Ukrainian-Russian bilateral Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Conducting joint military exercises to deepen political cooperation between Ukraine and NATO were regarded as a direct challenge to Russian security. Conclusions that political contacts between Ukraine and NATO were constantly on the agenda of Ukrainian-Russian relations and caused special interest of the social-political environment.
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