Focus on Ukraine: Security Choices After the Election: New Direction for Ukraine?

Although NATO membership was not getting headlines in 2010 Ukrainian presidential election, the broader issue of Ukrainian security was very much at stake. According to a poll, nearly 60 percent of Ukrainians opposed NATO membership. In NATO itself, the prospect of eventual NATO membership for Ukraine was a dormant issue. Russia, on the other hand, had clarified its view that it was entitled to a sphere of privileged interests where Russian-speaking populations or businesses were present.

The most logical course for Ukrainian security policy was to continue military reform and modernization at a measured pace. Ukraine could also seize the economic opportunities offered by the European Union and the United States. Without serious governance and a reasonably clear strategic direction, Ukraine's security situation would remain precarious.