«The United Kingdom’s Policy Towards Ukraine in Relation to the Russian-Ukrainian War (2014-2023)»
Students Name: Haias Yaroslav Mykolaiovych
Qualification Level: magister
Speciality: International Relations
Institute: Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Mode of Study: full
Academic Year: 2023-2024 н.р.
Language of Defence: ukrainian
Abstract: Analysis of UK policy towards Ukraine requires a deep understanding of the historical context, relations between the two countries, as well as broader international relations and political trends. This allows us to understand how the UK shaped its position, reacted to developments and what impact its actions had on the global political landscape. In this context, the study aims to analyse the UK’s policy towards Ukraine from 2014 to 2023, examining the key stages of this policy, its motivations, aims and implications for international security, diplomacy and UK-Ukraine relations. The object of the research is the foreign policy of Great Britain. The subject of the study is the peculiarities of the UK’s foreign policy towards Ukraine in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war (2014-2023). The purpose of the work is to characterize the UK’s strategies and motivations in its policy towards Ukraine in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and to assess the impact of this policy on international security and stability. It is investigated that for the period from 2014 to 2023, the UK governments demonstrated a focus on maintaining stability and strengthening the country’s international influence. During this period, a number of key steps were taken to strengthen global partnership, in particular in the field of security and defense. The UK paid special attention to the development of relations with the EU countries, despite the Brexit process, as well as the expansion of bilateral relations with key geopolitical players. It is argued that the development of the UK’s policy towards Ukraine in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war was strongly influenced by internal and external factors. This was especially noticeable after the Russian aggression against Ukraine, when the UK acted as an active partner, together with other countries, showing support for Ukraine and influence on the international context of the conflict. It is proved that the principles and priorities of the UK’s foreign policy in the region of Eastern Europe are preservation of stability and security, support of democracy, support of European integration efforts of the countries of the region and promotion of international cooperation in the spheres of security and defense. All these aspects of UK foreign policy testify to its active role in global affairs, in particular in maintaining the stability and development of the Eastern European region, which is essential for international security and cooperation. It is investigated that in the documentary base of the UK’s foreign policy towards Ukraine there is a wide range of documents that reflect the relations between these two countries. This database includes official statements, minutes of meetings, diplomatic correspondence and other materials. The analysis of these documents allowed us to establish the priorities of the UK, its approaches to resolving the conflict and ways of interaction with Ukraine and other international partners. It is argued that the development of the UK’s policy towards Ukraine in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war was strongly influenced by internal and external factors. External factor was russia’s aggression and the need to maintain stability in the region. An internal factor was the UK’s readiness to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in accordance with international obligations. Keywords: policy, foreign policy, government, official documents, diplomacy, international cooperation, geopolitics, full-scale war, military-political cooperation, Ukrainian-British relations, military assistance, financial and economic support. Key sources: Byelieskov, M. (July 9th, 2021). Oryentyry onovlenoyi voyennoyi polityky Velykoyi Brytaniyi. Natsional’nyy instytut stratehichnykh doslidzhen’. Available from: http://surl.li/oculw Hrubinko, A. (2015). Uchast’ Velykoyi Brytaniyi u yevropeys’kiy politychniy integratsiyi: mizh atlantyzmom ta yevropeyizmom. Yevropeys’ki istorychni studiyi, 1, 6-17. Hrubinko, A., Buglay, N. (2022). Istorychnyy shlyakh ukrayins’ko-brytans’kykh vidnosyn (do 30-richchya stratehichnoho partnerstva). Ukrayins’kyy istorychnyy zhurnal, 1, 206-219. Dohovirno-pravova baza mizh Ukrayinoyu ta Velykoyu Brytaniyeyu (2020). Available from: http://surl.li/ocunj