| History of Ukraine-NATO relationship
Relations between Ukraine and NATO began to develop soon after the gain of Ukraine's independence in 1991. It was as early as in January 1992 when a representative of Ukraine took part for the first time in the work of Work Group of high level in North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC).
In February 22-23 1992 NATO Secretary-General M.Verner had his first visit of to Kyiv, during which Ukraine was invited to NACC. Since then active contacts and cooperation with NATO began.
On 08.02.94 Ukraine was the first country of CIS to sign PfP Framework Document, and on 25.05.94 it provided NATO authorities with its Presentation document, in which political goals of Ukraine's participation in PfP were determined, together with arrangements necessary to achieve these goals with means and powers allocated by Ukraine for participation in PfP.
Important steps in the development of NATO-Ukraine cooperation were: sittings of North Atlantic Council on September 14, 1995 and on March 20, 1997 with participation of Minister of Foreign affairs of Ukraine G.Udovenko, range of political and special consultations between Ukraine and NATO in "16+1" Format, held in 1995-1997, mutual visits on high level including first official visit of NATO Secretary General J.Solana to Ukraine on April 15-16 1996.
On 09.07.97 at Madrid Summit the President of Ukraine L.D.Kuchma had signed NATO-Ukraine Special Partnership Charter, which determines political commitments of sides on the highest level and explains the content of "special partnership" between NATO and Ukraine.
MAIN ARRANGEMENTS OF THE NATO-UKRAINE PARTNERSHIP AFTER THE SIGNATURE OF SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP CHARTER:
- Establishing of the mechanism of regular monitoring of cooperation and political consultations in the framework of NATO-Ukraine Commission on levels of ministers of foreign affairs, ministers of defense, and ambassadors;
- Establishing of the mechanism of informal joint meetings of State Interdepartmental Commission for NATO-Ukraine cooperation and NATO Political Committee;
- Creation of NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine in 1997;
- Establishing of Ukraine Mission to NATO in 1997 and assignment of Military representative;
- Creation of Joint Ukraine-NATO Military Reform Working Group in 1997;
- Creation in 1998 of Joint Ukraine-NATO Group in the framework of Memorandum of Understanding as for cooperation in civil emergency planning;
- Creation in 1998 NATO-Ukraine crisis consultation mechanism;
- Signature in 1998 of Memorandum between the Government of Ukraine and NATO as for the assignment of NATO Liaison Officers in Ukraine;
- Inauguration in April 1999 of NATO Liaison Office in Ukraine;
- Conducting in July 2001 of NATO/PfP Symposium in Kyiv;
- Celebration in July 2002 of the fifth anniversary from the signature of NATO-Ukraine Special Partnership Charter and meeting of Ukraine-NATO Commission on ambassadors' level;
- Signature in July 2002 of Regulation of the President of Ukraine "About adoption of Ukraine Strategy as for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)";
- Signature in July 2002 of Memorandum of Understanding between Ukraine and NATO as for the Host Nation Support in multinational exercises and peacekeeping operations;
- Ratification by Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in September 2002 of the Agreement about security between the Government of Ukraine and NATO (signed on 13.03.1995);
- Creation by the decision of the President of Ukraine the State Council of Ukraine as for the European and Euro Atlantic integration. First meeting of the Council was held on October 17, 2002;
- Signature of the Ukraine-NATO Action Plan and Targeted Ukraine-NATO Action Plan for 2003.
State and perspectives of cooperation between NATO and Ministry of defense of Ukraine
Ukraine-NATO relations are developing in the framework of multilateral forum for consultations and cooperation on political and security issues, which is Euro Atlantic Partnership Council - EAPC (till 30.05.97 - North Atlantic Cooperation Council), for more individualized partnership in the sphere of defense, military cooperation and peacekeeping operations - Profound PfP Program (since May, 1997 it is conducted in the frameworks of EAPC), and also relations of special partnership Ukraine-NATO in "19+1" Format, regulated by NATO-Ukraine Special Partnership Charter.
On 08.02.94 Ukraine was the first CIS state to sign Framework PfP Document, and on 25.05.94 it submitted its Presentation document to NATO authorities, in which political goals of Ukraine participation in PfP were determined, together with arrangements necessary to achieve these goals with means and powers allocated by Ukraine for participation in PfP.
Priorities in directions and goals of cooperation with NATO:
- Creation of effective system of civil-military relations in the frameworks of which to envisage the improvement of democratic monitoring over the Armed Forces;
- Creation of effective system of defense planning which shall balance main priorities of reforming and development of the Armed Forces;
- Development of cooperative relations with NATO in military sphere in order to perform joint planning, military training and exercises, directed at improvement of their capabilities for acting in peacekeeping operations, search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid operations, including others which may be agreed later;
- Creation in long-term perspective of such Armed Forces that could be more interoperable with Armed Forces of NATO States.
On 09.07.97 at Madrid Summit the President of Ukraine L.D.Kuchma signed NATO-Ukraine Special Partnership Charter, which determines political commitments of sides on the highest level and explains the content of "special partnership" between NATO and Ukraine.
Since 1994 the Armed Forces of Ukraine participate in cooperation with NATO (according to PfP program). Since September 1995 the Individual Program of partnership between NATO and Ukraine is annually worked out. In 1997 Ukraine Mission to NATO was established. In April 1999 NATO Liaison Office in Kyiv was opened.
The further development of Ukraine-NATO cooperation.
Since acquiring independence the European model was laid in the basis of building of Ukraine. Creating the modern Armed Forces on the remains of the USSR Armed Forces, Ukraine has twofold reduced their strength (by 475 thousand men, early 2002), considerably reduced the quantity of armament and materiel (combat aircraft - by 1400, tanks - by 2500, LAV - by 1500), got rid of nuclear weapons on the voluntary basis and was one of the first to join the PfP Program.
In the process of Armed Forces reforming NATO and its Member-States experience is taken into account, special partnership chart mechanisms are used, particularly the JWG on military reform, PfP Program and PARP as well as bilateral cooperation.
The reforming of the Armed Forces on the Euro-Atlantic model is fixed on the legislative level.
New projects of the National Security Concept (fundamentals of state policy), Concept of Armed Forces 2010 model and the Military Doctrine take into account the Ukrainian strategy to become the NATO-member, determine modern approaches to crisis management of both military and non-military character and possible engagement of the Armed Forces in them;
The Law "On democratic and civil control over the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other military formations" has been worked out, and is to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.
The draft work over Strategy of implementation of democratic civil control over defense sphere has finished.
(The status and current situation on law development on this issue has to be reviewed by the time this document is adopted)
The Ukraine's aspiration on preparation to join the NATO will enable it to make a considerable step forward in reforming the defense sphere, including:
- Creation of effective modern Armed Forces giving the priority to Forward Defense Force capable to operate with NATO forces at a broad range of tasks and missions;
- Creating an effective control system over them;
- Forming a transparent defense budget, increasing programs' feasibility and purposefulness in reforming the state's defense component.
An important phase in achieving mentioned tasks and a key mission for the nearest future will be the defense review, which will be conducted taking into account the experience and possible aid of the NATO and its Member-States. Basing on its results appropriate amendments to programs and documents that determine the reform and development of the Armed Forces up to 2025 will be introduced.
NATO cooperation priorities:
- Creation of effective civil-military relations system, improve the democratic control over the Armed Forces within its framework;
- Creation of effective defense planning system which would balance the main priorities of reforming and development of the Armed Forces including:
- Conduct of Defense Review at the whole range of its destination including the refreshment of the Armed Forces activities legislature;
- PARP integration into the national defense planning system of Ukraine and as the first step - implementation of the military reform national goals;
- Assuring the implementation of NUC (military reform) decisions;
- Reaching the interoperability of the Ukrainian Armed Forced elements with NATO military formations in order to participate in NATO-led PKO:
- Continuation of direct participation in NATO-led operations;
- Implementation of MOU statements to provide the HNS during the multinational exercises and PKO's;
- Signing the MOU concerning the strategic airlifts execution;
Reaching the Partnership goals determined for the Ukrainian Armed Forces an the 3-rd stage of the PARP.
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