Ukraine’s Military Security Strategy: Russian Federation Remains Military Adversary

President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) of Ukraine of 25 March 2021 “On the Military Security Strategy of Ukraine.”

The relevant document dated 25 March was published on the website of the Head of State.

According to the President’s Office, such a strategic document was prepared in Ukraine for the first time.

“The main goal of the Military Security Strategy of Ukraine is to prepare and properly ensure a comprehensive defence of Ukraine within the framework of deterrence, stability and cooperation, which ensures military security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine and within Ukraine’s state border, promotes Ukraine’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic security space and accession to NATO, provides for active participation in the international peace and security operations,” the military doctrine states.

The document defines the goals and objectives aimed, in particular, at “ending the temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity primarily through international legal, political and diplomatic, security, humanitarian and economic measures.”

“At the national level, the Russian Federation remains a military adversary of Ukraine which carries out armed aggression against Ukraine, by temporarily occupying the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and consistently uses military, political, economic, information and psychological, space, cyber – and other means that pose a threat to the independence, state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” reads the strategy.

At the same time, it is emphasised that Ukraine does not intend to achieve military parity with Russia because it would lead to excessive militarisation of the state and depletion of the national economy. Instead, the balance and synergy of military and non-military means are maintained.

On 24 March, Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defence Council “On the Strategy for De-occupation and Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol.”

Bohdan Marusyak