THE EVOLUTION OF THE MILITARY COOPERATION BETWEEN UKRAINE AND POLAND

Abstract

The article investigates the evolution of interstate relations between Ukraine and Poland in the military sphere. The military cooperation between the countries began with the signing of the Agreement between the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Poland and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in February 1993. The relations between the states reached the level of strategic partnership in 1996, after the signing of a joint declaration by the Presidents of Ukraine and the Republic of Poland. The joint Ukrainian-Polish military unit for participation in international peacekeeping and humanitarian operations under the auspices of international organizations was created in 1997. The military cooperation between the countries increased with Poland’s joining NATO and the EU. The joint military exercises conducted by Ukraine and Poland contributed to the practical assimilation of Western operational standards, modern practices and approaches implemented in the Ukrainian army. It has been found that there were regular bilateral meetings between Ukraine and Poland at the level of the leadership of the defense departments. A number of agreements on military-technical cooperation were signed, and annual internships and training were held in higher educational institutions of the Republic of Poland and Ukraine. It has been found out that over the past 30 years, Polish-Ukrainian cooperation has been built on mutually beneficial terms in the military sphere, and relations have deepened every year. With the beginning of the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine, military cooperation between the countries reached the highest level of development during the years of independence. Poland, as a member of NATO and the EU, contributes to the establishment of military cooperation between Ukraine and European structures. This cooperation is an example for other countries in the conditions of Ukraine’s war with the Russian Federation.