The development of relations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation: The geopolitical and security measures (according to expert estimates)

Abstract

Current Ukrainian-Russian relations are examined in the represented article. Authors particular state that the relationships between the two countries are becoming strategic importance in contemporary Central and Eastern Europe. Turning Ukraine into the Eurasian Union as it offered by President Putin, Russia will become the sole leader of the former Soviet Union, where, experts believe, concentrated its vital interests in economics, defense and security. Russian politicians are trying to create an efficient neo-imperial model of cultural and ideological elements of “soft-power” for the post-Soviet space.

Authors focus on peer reviews and comments that have appeared on the pages of Ukrainian magazines and daily press over the last few years. Serious politicians and analysts have almost unanimously come to the conclusion that the most important goal of Ukraine’s foreign policy is the implementation of alternative projects and steps opposite such neo-imperialistic plans of Russia. It becomes topical for Ukraine the problem of finding its own identity in Europe and in the world. During the analyses of the results of public opinion polls regarding support of a foreign policy vector it was noticed the significant difference in priorities for external experts (they mainly support West direction) and ordinary citizens, who hesitate between a focus on Russia or the European vector of Ukraine’s international policy.

The researchers emphasize that under current conditions the base for Ukraine could become an “average weight” (middle-power) state model, which could play a prominent role in Central and Eastern Europe, based on productive cooperation through partnerships with neighboring countries, especially Poland, which have become part of modern united Europe. It is necessary to conduct internal European policy of Ukraine. The ability (or not ability) of the whole our society to provide thoughtful and organizational grounded underlying social, economic and foreign policy reforms in the medium terms a key question.

The necessary condition for really partner and predictable relations between Ukraine and Russia is the development and deepening of democratic processes primarily in Ukraine itself, and later in the Russian Federation, is concluded in the article. However, according to the events in recent years, its ruling class moves to “curb” democracy in domestic policy, or understand it in a way that significantly differs from the values and legal guidelines for established democracies and for most of those countries that somehow overcome difficult path to democracy beyond Europe and America.