Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 02/2010

UKRAINE AND NATO: The Policy and Practice of Co-operating with the Euro-Atlantic Security Community

Nienke de Deugd

June 2007

Centre for European Security Studies

Abstract

Soon after independence in 1991, Ukraine set course for closer collaboration with EU and NATO, to be followed by membership. Sixteen years later, it is still not clear whether Ukraine will ever join, and if so when and how. In this Harmonie Paper, political scientist Nienke de Deugd analyses the gap between policy and practice during the Kuchma years. Dr De Deugd is an assistant professor at Groningen University's department of International Relations. She discusses four problems that obstructed Ukraine’s integration with the West. Most of these still apply in 2007.