US STRATEGIC INTEREST INCLUDES UKRAINE’S ACCEPTABLE TIES WITH RUSSIA

US strategic interest includes Ukraine’s acceptable ties with Russia as Kiev wishes for closer economic and strategic ties with Europe.

The need for acceptable ties with Russia serves the fundamental interests of both Ukraine and the United States, according to the National Interest magazine. Ukraine has two broad strategic choices to reach a modus vivendi with Russia that satisfies both countries’ essential interests; or to conclude a strategic alliance with another power that will allow it to defy its larger neighbour, according to the US media publication.

The United States is the only other power potentially capable of successfully supporting the second choice. That is the option Ukraine has been pursuing, with US encouragement.

Further, Ukraine would become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Alliance with the Membership Action Plan and US would be forced to come to Kiev’s aid in an event of an armed conflict as a part of the Treaty obligations.

However, if the US had a strategic foreign policy framework, what would it look like and how would Ukraine fit into it? First, the creation of a more stable international system and that system is of greatest benefit to the entities at the top of the system. The United States currently occupies that position.

Second, to avoid a Chinese/Russian opposition alliance and those benefits to the United States of not having the other nuclear superpower and the other economic superpower allied against it seem glaringly obvious.