Joining NATO as a guarantee of Ukraine’s national security. Current situation and prospects

• Main Authors: Кононенко, В., Новікова, Л., Пущаєнко, О.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Ukrainian
• Published: Державний вищий навчальний заклад «Ужгородський національний університет» 2022
• Subjects: hybrid war; NATO; national security; Euro-Atlantic integration; гібридна війна; НАТО; національна безпека; євроатлантична інтеграція; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://visnyk-pravo.uzhnu.edu.ua/article/view/254068

The article considers the process of formation, current state and prospects of relations between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Alliance. In addition, the advantages for the state from membership in this military-political bloc are highlighted, namely: guarantee of national security, sovereignty, compliance with high NATO standards in the military-defense sphere, etc. It was established that the intensification of bilateral cooperation began in 2014 in connection with the hybrid war. Accordingly, the urgent need for Ukraine to find effective ways to ensure national security. Given the tension on the Ukrainian-Russian border in 2021, support from the Alliance and Euro-Atlantic integration in general has become even more acute issue for Ukraine. The study separately identifies and considers domestic political factors that slow down Ukraine’s approach to NATO membership (slow and inconsistent reforming, corruption, weaknesses in the judicial system, non-compliance with all the tenets of democracy), as well as foreign policy obstacles (the tension in relations with particular members of the Alliance, the threat of the conflict escalation with Russia). Based on the analyzed obstacles, it is concluded that the prospects for Ukraine’s integration into Euro-Atlantic structures are quite far-reaching, but most importantly, NATO cooperates fully with Ukraine, supports its intentions to join the Organization and prevents third countries from influencing the decision on Ukraine’s entrance into the Alliance. Given the prospect of a long process of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration, a number of recommendations aimed at accelerating this process are developed in the study, including: strengthening cooperation with NATO countries in a number of areas in which cooperation is already taking place; accelerating the implementation of the provisions of the Annual National Programs; mass education of the population on the course of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and its benefits for the state; improving bilateral relations ...