Historical Path of Ukrainian-British Relations (To the 30th Anniversary of the Strategic Partnership)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to present the results of the study history of formation and development of Ukrainian-British interstate relations in the context of celebrating the 30th anniversary of their official founding.

The research methodology of the study formed the principles of historicism, systematicity, general scientific methods of logic, comparative analysis, special historical methods (historiographical analysis, historicalsystemic, chronology, historical-genetic, retrospective analysis, comparative-historical).

Scientific novelty of the article is to study the historical background, the process of formation and development of interstate relations between Ukraine and Great Britain. The conditions of the changing international environment and internal factors of development of both states, the dynamics of Ukraine’s relations with the EU and NATO are taken into account. Achievements in the political, security, economic and humanitarian spheres of interstate cooperation are separately analyzed. The changes in the policy of the British government towards Ukraine since 2014 – the beginning of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine are shown. The defining tendencies of the current stage of interstate relations in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian military-political conflict are traced.

Conclusions. Relations between Ukraine and the United Kingdom reflect the difficult path of our state as a full-fledged subject of international relations. The formation of interstate relations included periods of overcoming the biased attitude of British politicians and the public towards Ukraine, establishing constructive cooperation at various levels, a deep crisis of confidence in the early 2000s and resuming dialogue, forming a strategic partnership with military-political alliance. The central elements of the latter are broad and unprecedented political support for Ukraine at the international level, comprehensive assistance of the British government to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, the formation of new formats of Ukraine’s international coalition of partners. The United Kingdom is one of the architects of Ukraine’s relations with the European Union and NATO. Consistent but moderate pragmatic support for Ukraine’s accession to the EU was in line with the traditional British model of European integration. Although the United Kingdom has left the EU, its leadership shares Ukraine’s aspirations to participate in European integration and supports it in this process. The situation is similar with Ukraine’s relations with NATO. However, in the military-political dimension, London has proposed a more effective approach, introducing active cooperation with Kyiv at the level of individual programs and other formats of defense cooperation involving third countries. In this context, the announced format of the Ukraine-Poland-UK interstate alliance is very promising and could become part of the Baltic-Black Sea Union, which is vital for Ukraine’s security. The high level of partnership with the United Kingdom should be appreciated and developed, as there are few such allies in Ukraine.