The Russian Federation is Ukraine’s largest neighbor, a factor in its domestic and foreign policy. Until recently, Ukrainian and Russian societies were tightly integrated. Ukraine’s relations with the Russian Federation are complicated by imperial heritage, distorting the perception of the par- ties to each other.
Russia Federation as an aggressor-state is the main source of external threats to national security of Ukraine. The response to the Russian challenge must be consistent. It should be based on the implementation of a strategic course for Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO.
These Policy paper offers a vision of the Ukraine’s policy towards Russia. The protection of Ukraine’s national interests, not ideological guidelines, should be the cornerstone of this policy.
Both surrender to the Russian Federation and transformation into a tool for harming the Russian Federation are destructive for Ukraine and the neighboring region. The concentration of Ukraine’s state policy on harming Russia threatens to neglect tasks of development and overcome backwardness, and thus objectively destroys the chances of a successful completion of the confrontation with the Russian Federation. An external enemy is a universal excuse for one’s own mistakes. Applying own or joining the collective means of pressure on the Russian Federation, the consequences of these actions for Ukraine should be taken into account.
Politics of Ukraine must ensure the neutralization of threats from the Russian Federation, and also to promote a change in Russia’s policy towards Ukraine through proving to Russian society and government the harmfulness and futility of confrontation.
Return to relations as of 2013 is impossible both due to the very fact of Russian aggression and due to the unacceptability of unilateral dependence on Russia for Ukrainian society. Until the restoration of territorial integrity of Ukraine neighborly relations with Russia is impossible.
It is necessary to determine the modality of co-existence, to form a model of relations with the Russian Federation that would guarantee state sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (including its right to a European and Euro-Atlantic trajectory), would promote peace, security and development in Europe. To this end, Ukraine needs to develop a more attractive social model that will ensure greater freedom, greater justice, greater protection of human rights and economic efficiency.
Ukraine does not interfere and is not going to interfere with Russia’s domestic affairs. The Russia’s government, whose main priority will be the development of its own country, will try to restore good neighborly relations with Ukraine.
More: