Military and technical cooperation between Ukraine and the USA during the presidency of V. Yushchenko and V. Yanukovych

Abstract

Military-technical cooperation with the United States at the current stage is critically important for Ukraine both in the context of repelling the Russian invasion and post-war security guarantees. In such conditions, the need to study the previous historical experience of bilateral interaction in this area becomes especially relevant in order to gain a more complete understanding of its trends, origins, dynamics and problems. It can also make it possible to identify bottlenecks and mistakes made in this cooperation.

The purpose of the research is a comprehensive study of the features, dynamics and main directions of military-technical cooperation between Ukraine and the USA in the period 2005-2013, the terms of two Ukrainian presidents – V. Yushchenko and V. Yanukovych. The scientific novelty of the study lies in its comprehensive disclosure of the strategic considerations, content, achievements and political limitations of bilateral MTC, as well as in identifying the common features and differences in approaches to this cooperation under different ruling teams in Ukraine (in 2005-2009 and 2010-2013).

The main methods that were used in the research are general scientific methods, a systematic approach, historical analysis, comparative analysis and the case study method, the combination of which together made it possible to comprehensively investigate the topic.

The results of the study show that the intensity of the MTC between Ukraine and the USA increased significantly after 2004 and included such main areas as Kyiv's participation in the stabilization of the situation in Iraq, Euro-Atlantic integration and joint military exercises. If in the first case we were talking about a downward trend in the form of a gradual curtailment of Ukraine's military presence in Iraq, then in other directions there was an expansion compared to the previous period of bilateral cooperation – active lobbying by Washington for Ukraine to receive a MAP to NATO and intensification in conducting military exercises.

During the term of office of V. Yanukovych's US-Ukrainian cooperation in the military-technical sphere was characterized by stabilization, pragmatization and knowledge of the issue of NATO membership on the agenda. Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, military exercises and technical assistance to eliminate the missile legacy have become the main areas of cooperation.