After leaving the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine set its strategic goal of integration into the Euro-Atlantic community and signed a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union in 1994 in the political, economic, and cultural fields.
-Advertisement-
Relations between the European Union and Ukraine improved further in 2009 with the Eastern Partnership Programme.
But Yanukovych’s failure to sign the European Union Treaty split the country in two.
After the then pro-Western President Viktor Yanukovych did not sign the Association Agreement with the European Union on November 21, 2013, the country was divided into pro-Russian and pro-Western parts, and the so-called “Square Events” demonstrations began.
The Square events resulted in Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, and pro-Russian separatists declared their so-called states in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
-Advertisement-
The Euro-Atlantic Community operation began with Ukraine, a former member of the European Union, and NATO, the Warsaw Pact.
Ukraine also joined the Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and became the first post-Soviet country to participate in this program.
As relations with the West accelerated under Yushchenko, Ukraine applied for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) in 2008 at the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest, and it was announced that Georgia and Ukraine would become members of NATO.
Although NATO recognized Ukraine as an “opportunity-enhancing partner” in 2020, it has not released an action map.
-Advertisement-
The recent emergence of intelligence reports of Russia massing again on the Ukrainian border on the grounds that NATO is expanding towards its borders and preparing to attack has increased tension in the region.
In an online meeting to de-escalate tensions in the region, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked his US counterpart Joe Biden for assurances that Ukraine would not become a member of NATO.
A day after the meeting, Putin said regarding the possibility of NATO expansion to the east, “It is impossible not to worry about the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.
If Ukraine joins NATO, arms shipments to Ukraine will start, which will start to pose a threat to us.”
-Advertisement-
In addition, Putin stated that in April, US missiles in Poland and Romania could reach central Russia within 15 minutes “suppose Ukraine is a member of NATO.
The flight duration of American missiles will decrease from Kharkiv or the cities of Dnipro to Moscow. 7 to 10 minutes.”
On the other hand, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the decision of Ukraine to join NATO is up to that country.
-Advertisement-
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also assessed that the guarantees to be given to Russia would only “increase Putin’s appetite”.
