CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STUDIES MASTER'S THESIS The geopolitical interests of Ukraine in the modern system of international relations Author Andriy Bryn Subject: IEPS Academic Year: 2010/2011 Supervisor: Bo řivoj Hnízdo, PhD. Date Submitted: 19th May 2011 THESIS PROJECT REFERENCE Charles University in Prague Faculty of Social Sciences Program: International Economic and Political Studies Thesis Title: The geopolitical interests of Ukraine in the modern system of international relations Supervisor: Bo řivoj Hnízdo, PhD. Student: Andriy Bryn Objectives 1. Analyze contemporary trends in the geopolitics of Ukraine by highlighting major historical impacts, its geopolitical potential and the responce to the modern geopolitical challenges; 2. Evaluate Ukraine’s geopolitical interests in the relations with its strategic partners such as the United States, Russian Federation and the countries of the Central-Eastern Europe; 3. Define the role of Ukraine in the regional and global processes; 4. Accumulate and analyze data on Ukraine’s geopolitical trends in order to support arguments to develop own optimal geopolitical concept of Ukraine. Structure of the Thesis Thesis Project List of Abbreviations Abstract Anotace Introduction Subject Significance Thesis Desposition 1. Theoretical considerations 2. The nature and genesis of the geopolitics in Ukraine 2.1. The roots of Ukrainian geopolitics 2.2. The geopolitics of Ukraine in the Soviet era 2.3. The formation of a new geopolitical thought in Ukraine 3. The geopolitical position of Ukraine in the modern era: the relations with strategic partners 3.1. Transformation of geopolitical position of Ukraine in the context of relations with the countries of Central-Eastern Europe 3.2. The United States – Ukrainian strategic relations 3.3.Geopolitical interests of Ukraine in the cooperation with Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) 4. The geopolitical role of Ukraine in the globalization processes 4.1. Ukraine in the system of global international organizations 4.2. The global problems of international community: the view from Kiev Conclusion Bibliography Appendices Overview The development of the modern system of international relations is different compared to the such development in the last century. In the era of social and economic inequality our civilization created such global problems as food shortages, terrorism, corruption, proliferation of deadly weapons, ecological disasters, demographic processes, escalation of conflicts for energy resources and many other problems. In this case, geopolitics has become an increasingly important study as the world faced with rising competition for regional and global domination. This competition greatly affects the system of international relations and provokes the shift in the balance of power, dividing the world into geopolitical players and geopolitical subjects. Ukraine, being the largest contigious European state at the crossroads between Eurasian Russia and Western European civilization, emphasizes the importance to promote its geopolitical interests and further development of its geopolitical doctrine in order to become the most influential geopolitical player in the region. In this regard, the thesis promotes greater understanding of recent trends in Ukraine’s geopolitics, its impact on the global processes, analyses the geostrategic relations between Ukraine and its partners, and provides evaluation of Ukraine’s geopolitics in the future. Literature Anders Aslund, How Ukraine became a market economy and democracy, Peterson Institute, 2009 – Pages: 345. Colin S. Gray, Geopolitics, geography, and strategy, Routledge, 1999 - Pages: 289. C. Dale Walton, Geopolitics and the great powers in the twenty-first century: multipolarity and the revolution in strategic perspective, Routledge, 2007 - Pages: 141. Christian Reus-Smit, Duncan Snidal, The Oxford handbook of international relations, Oxford University Press, 2008 - Pages: 772. C. M. Hann, Paul R. Magocsi, Galicia: a multicultured land, University of Toronto Press, 2005 - Pages: 259. Deborah Sanders, Army War College (U.S.), Strategic Studies Institute, Ukraine after the Orange Revolution: can it complete military transformation, Strategic Studies Institute, 2006 - Pages: 42. F. Stephen Larrabee. “Rethinking Russia : Russia, Ukraine, and Central Europe: The Return of Geopolitics”, Journal of International Relations, Columbia University. Available at: http://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/russia-ukraine-and-central-europe-return-geopolitics (Assessed on March, 15, 2011) Ilya Prizel, National identity and foreign policy: nationalism and leadership in Poland, Russia and Ukraine, Cambridge University Press, 1998 - Pages: 443. James P. Nichol, Diplomacy in the former Soviet Republics, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995 - Pages: 244. Janusz Bugajski, Steven Pifer, Celeste A. Wallander, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, D.C.), Ukraine: a net assessment of 16 years of independence, CSIS, 2008 - Pages: 34. Margarita Mercedes Balmaceda, On the edge: Ukrainian-Central European-Russian security triangle, Central European University Press, 2000 - Pages: 268. Nurit Kliot, David Newman, Geopolitics at the end of the twentieth century: the changing world political map, Routledge, 2000 - Pages: 293. Paul Robert Magocsi, A history of Ukraine, University of Toronto Press, 1996 - Pages: 784. Raphael Shen, Ukraine's economic reform: obstacles, errors, lessons, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996 - Pages: 214. Richard Pipes, The formation of the Soviet Union: communism and nationalism, 1917-1923 : with a new preface, Harvard University Press, 1997 - Pages: 365. Roman Popalyuk, American – Ukrainian Nuclear Relations, DIANE Publishing, 1996 – Pages: 90. Yuriy Lypa, Pryznachennia Ukrainy [Purpose of Ukraine], Lybid: Kiev, 2004. – Pages: 739. DECLARATION: I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work, based on the sources and literature listed in the appended bibliography. The thesis as submitted is 114 (one hundred and fourteen) manuscript pages. Andriy Bryn _____________________ In Prague, May, 18, 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Here I would like to thank this Master‘s Thesis Supervisor, Dr. Bo řivoj Hnízdo, Ph.D, for his expert assistance and advice during all steps of my Thesis. I would also like to thank an International Visegrad Fund for offering me a scholarship to study at this Master’s Degree Program. Table of Contents List of Abbreviations............................................................................................................11 Abstract................................................................................................................................12 Anotace.................................................................................................................................13 Introduction..........................................................................................................................14 Subject Significance.........................................................................................................14 Thesis Desposition...........................................................................................................19 1. Theoretical considerations…………………………………………………..………......21 2. The nature and genesis of the geopolitics in Ukraine……………………..……...…......28 2.1.The roots of Ukrainian geopolitics…………………………………..……...…......28 2.2.The geopolitics of Ukraine in the Soviet era………………………..……...……...36 2.3.The formation of a new geopolitical thought in Ukraine…………..……...……....45 3. The geopolitical position of Ukraine in the modern era: the relations with strategic partners……………………………………………………..……………….54 3.1. Transformation of geopolitical position of Ukraine in the context of relations with the countries of Central-Eastern Europe……..………………...55 3.2.The United States – Ukrainian strategic relations……………................................63 3.3. Geopolitical interests of Ukraine in the cooperation with Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)……..…………72 4. The geopolitical role of Ukraine in the globalization processes………….…………....78 4.1.Ukraine in the system of global international organizations……….………...…...78 4.2.The global problems of international community: the view from Kiev.……….....88 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….………..…..94 Bibliography........................................................................................................................99 Appendices........................................................................................................................108 List of Abbreviations CIS - Commonwealth of Independent States CEE - Central Eastern Europe CSCE - Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe DOD - Department of Defense EU - European Union FTA - Free Trade Association GEF - Global Ecological Fund GUAM - Georgia – Ukraine - Azerbaijan – Moldova - Organization for Democracy and Economic Development ILO - International Labor Organization ITU - International Telecommunication Union KFOR - Kosovo Force NATO - North-Atlantic Treaty Organization NKVD - The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (USSR) NPT - Non-proliferation Treaty NWFZ - Nuclear Weapon Free Zone START - Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty UEFA - Union of European Football Associations UCCA - Ukrainian Congress Committee of America UKRPOLBAT - Ukrainian – Polish Peace Force Battalion UN