US-Ukraine Defence and Strategic Cooperation
Ukraine has been under attack and is looking for the US and NATO support which is not coming. In that context it is important to evaluate US-Ukraine defence ties. For 30 years of Ukrainian independence, Ukraine and the United States (US) have been close allies because of the presence of a common ‘foe’. Both countries have shared historic ties, born out of the fall of the Soviet Union and cemented by Russia’s aggression towards ex-Soviet states. Ukraine’s westward shift towards the European Union and pursuit of an independent foreign policy has irked Russia manifolds. Energy and defence diplomacy remain the crux of a bold and self-reliant Ukraine, with the US at its side.
Strategic Allies
On 10 November 2021, the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba signed a charter on Strategic Partnership in Washington, D.C., replacing the 2008 charter [1]. It indicated a commitment to a Europe that is “whole, free, democratic, and at peace” and prioristised “Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea and extending to its territorial waters in the face of ongoing Russian aggression, which threatens regional peace and stability and undermines the global rules-based order”.
The charter is a reflection on how US-Ukraine strategic and defence ties are tied by an overwhelming next-door neighbour Russia. A whole section is dedicated to security and countering Russian aggression which supports “bolstering Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against threats to its territorial integrity” in addition to deepening Ukraine’s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions are concurrent priorities.
Similarly, the charter makes a passing remark on Ukraine’s right to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which is a bone of contention between Russia and the West. “The United States supports Ukraine’s right to decide its own future foreign policy course free from outside interference, including with respect to Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO”, the charter reads. It also makes references to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, which are at a centrepoint of the current tensions as the US accuses Russia of backing pro-Russia Ukrainian separatists. “The United States does not and will never recognize Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and reaffirms its full support for international efforts, including in the Normandy Format,” referring to a series of talks held during the Crimea crisis. It even asks for accountability for those responsible for abuses of human rights in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia. Other areas of collaboration include deepening cooperation in areas such as Black Sea security, cyber defense, intelligence sharing, democracy and rule of law and economic transformation of the eastern European country.
Deepening Defense Ties
Ukraine’s defence industry which has been built on the Soviet state model has begun to liberalise and reduce the dependence on Russia. In December 2019, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine started working with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) which allows the country to buy legal weapons and other defence-related purchases directly from NATO suppliers. In July 2020, the Law “On Defense Procurement” was approved by the Ukrainian Parliament [2]. This law declassifies a significant part of the state defence budget and creates a competitive and transparent environment in the military hardware market. The country has shown interest in cooperating with the US portfolio of joint projects including aircraft engines, early warning systems, first-aid and battlefield evacuation vehicles, a NATO-compatible self-propelled 155-mm gun system, as well as steel armour, AFV engines, weapons control systems.
2021 was a year of high-level summits and visits by defense and heads of state for the two allies. In September 2021, the first in-person meeting between US President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was held in Washington, D.C [3]. The key issues on the table were US' input on Ukraine's chances of joining NATO, establishing the potential US role in reaching a settlement in the Donbas region of Ukraine, and requesting American assistance in freeing hundreds of individuals imprisoned in Donbas. Ukraine discussed Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will bypass Ukraine and Poland as transit states and directly supply natural gas to Western Europe, losing the two states' transit fees.
Later in December amid a rising Russian military build-up along the country’s border with Ukraine, the two held a virtual meeting. The Pentagon later revealed that President Biden had authorized an additional $200 million to provide small arms and ammunition, secure radios, medical equipment, spare parts and other equipment to the ex-Soviet nation [4]. Earlier in August too, President Biden had committed to sending $60 million in military aid to Kyiv shortly ahead of the September meeting with Zelensky. Part of that deal, including small arms and ammo, were delivered to Ukraine in early December with The assistance included lethal elements, such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, as well as nonlethal elements, according to a statement by Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. The US’ 2022 National Defense Authorization Act called for $300 million in military assistance for Ukraine this year, with at least $75 million specifically designated for lethal assistance [5].
The US has been training Ukrainian troops with a training group, established in 2015, designed to improve Ukraine's defensive capabilities. In November 2021, Florida National Guard's Task Force Gator was deployed to Ukraine as part of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, replacing the Washington National Guard.
Strategic Defense Framework
Both countries have released a strategic defense framework to highlight key areas of cooperation. According to the US Department of State, the US has committed over $2.7 billion in training and equipment to help Ukraine preserve its territorial integrity, secure its borders, and improve interoperability with NATO since the 2014 Ukraine-Russia crisis [6]. It includes $721 million in State Department-funded Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $1.35 billion under DoD’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Ukraine also received about $19.7 million in IMET assistance between 2014 and 2021 to support professional military education for approximately 370 junior, mid-level, and senior military officers at Department of Defense (DoD) schools in the United States. In January 2022, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act to provide military equipment necessary to protect vulnerable civilian populations from a Russian military invasion [7]. “Expanding the United States’ ability to lend and lease critical equipment and capabilities would be an effective way to empower the Ukrainian people to fight and win against a strong Russian force. We need an overwhelming bipartisan vote and a presidential signature on this legislation without delay,” said Republican Senator Roger Wicker. Under Arms Export Control Act authority, the President can currently lend and lease defense articles to US partners and allies when it is in their national security interest. Despite the urgency of the situation, the House went on a week-long break without authorizing the Lend-Lease Act.
The US is likely to continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine amid a Russian flare-up on the Ukrainian border. This might indirectly bring the country into a direct confrontation with Russia and throw open some cold war wounds in the world order.
References:
[6] https://www.state.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-ukraine/
[7]https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/node/6528
Pic Courtsey-Robert Anasch at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
