Ukraine » International Relations

The Ukraine's Relations with Neighbours

After a period of strain in the early-mid 1990s, a major breakthrough in Russia-Ukraine relations occurred in May 1997 when Presidents Yeltsin and Kuchma signed an agreement on the Black Sea Fleet, whereby Ukraine undertook to lease the harbours of Sevastopol to Russia for an initial 20 years while itself retaining the use of certain bays. The presidents also signed a Bilateral Treaty on Friendship and Co-operation, recognizing each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity within their existing borders. In February 2003, the two countries agreed on the delimitation of their land border. However, this left the Azov Sea border undelimited and in October 2003 a dispute flared over Ukraine's possession of Tuzla Island in the Kerch Strait, which links the Azov and Black Seas. The two sides signed a framework agreement on the Kerch Strait in December 2003. This was ratified by the respective parliaments in April 2004, although negotiations on the detail continue. President Putin’s backing for President Yushchenko’s opponent, strained Ukraine’s relations with Russia.

Nevertheless, Yushchenko is keen to re-build the relationship and made Moscow his first overseas visit after his inauguration and Putin made a return visit to Ukraine in March. In September 2003, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus signed an agreement on a common economic space at the CIS summit in Yalta. However, it is not yet clear whether Ukraine intends to proceed further than implementation of a Free Trade Agreement with the other three states. Ukraine has been a leading member of GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova), since 1996 and has played an active part in its development. GUUAM states seek to co-operate on political and is presently undergoing a revival following the Rose and Orange Revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine and the re-election of President Voronin in Moldova.

The Ukraine's Relations with International Community

Integration with the EU is a priority for Yushchenko’s new government and the reform programme it is pursuing is based around bringing Ukraine closer to the EU. The PCA also establishes a forum for regular high-level political and working-level official meetings. In December 1999, the EU adopted a Common Strategy, which aimed to support Ukraine's economic and political transition, maintenance of stability and security in Europe and the wider world, and increased co-operation over political, cultural and legal issues. In April 2002, the UK Foreign Secretary launched a 'Wider Europe' initiative that proposed giving Ukraine (and Moldova and Belarus) special Wider Europe status. Ukraine announced in May 2002 that it seeks to join NATO.

The NATO-Ukraine relationship is based on The Charter on a Distinctive Partnership, signed in Madrid in 1997. This set out principles for developing NATO-Ukraine relations, possible areas for co-operation and consultation, and established mechanisms for managing the relationship, including the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC). Ukraine has enhanced its participation in the Partnership for Peace (PfP), and Ukrainian troops are serving side-by-side with NATO in Kosovo.

Trade and Investment with UK

The UK is the third largest investor in Ukraine. The British Council opened in Ukraine in 1992 and operates centres in five cities there: Kiev, Odessa, Donetsk, L'viv and Kharkiv. The BBC estimates that more than 2 million Ukrainians tune in every day and that over 20% of 'educated opinion-formers' do so regularly.