![]() EOP status is recognition of the progress Ukraine has made in improving the interoperability of its forces with those of the alliance through its participation in NATO operations from the Balkans to Afghanistan. At the Wales NATO Summit in summer 2014, NATO members invited Georgia as well as Finland, Sweden, Australia and Jordan to become the first EOP countries, but were reluctant to upgrade Ukraine’s status at a time when hostilities with Russia in eastern Ukraine were escalating. Ukraine was unfairly passed over when the program was launched in 2014 in order to deepen cooperation with NATO’s most interoperable partners. What will this NATO upgrade mean for Ukraine, and how might it impact the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration ambitions?Īlexander Vershbow, Distinguished Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Atlantic Council Former NATO Deputy Secretary General: NATO’s decision to grant Enhanced Opportunities Partner (EOP) status to Ukraine is long overdue but still an important milestone in Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Ukraine’s new Enhanced Opportunities Partner status should not be confused with the prospect of NATO membership, but it does signal the next stage in a deepening relationship that has huge geopolitical implications for the wider region. Polls conducted since the beginning of the conflict have consistently produced results that would translate into landslide victories for NATO membership in any future referendum on the issue. However, with the country now locked in an unequal struggle against the Kremlin, support for NATO membership has surged. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities with Russia, the Ukrainian public had displayed very little interest in joining NATO. Ukrainian attitudes towards NATO have undergone a dramatic transformation since the start of Russian aggression in spring 2014. Indeed, Russian concerns over a potential future NATO role in Ukraine have frequently been cited as a key reason behind the undeclared six-year war currently underway between the two neighbors. Russia has long bristled at the military alliance’s growing post-1991 presence in Central and Eastern Europe, with expansion into strategically and symbolically important Ukraine identified as a red line by the Kremlin. Speaking on June 16, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov commented that NATO’s decision to enhance its partnership with Ukraine does not “contribute to the strengthening of security and stability in Europe.” Unsurprisingly, Moscow was significantly less impressed by this latest indication of strengthening NATO-Ukraine ties. The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to Ukraine’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” tweeted British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. “I welcome NATO’s award of Enhanced Opportunity Partner status to Ukraine today – reinforcing the close relationship between NATO and Ukraine. Many of Ukraine’s Western partners offered similarly enthusiastic responses. “NATO’s Enhanced Opportunities Partner status is a practical solution that will allow Ukraine and the Alliance to work even closer together.” “Grateful to the members of the Alliance for recognizing Ukraine’s significant contribution to joint peacekeeping operations in the world,” Zelenskyy tweeted. In a social media post, President Zelenskyy noted the practical implications of the upgrade. NATO’s decision was widely toasted by Ukraine, where it was welcomed as a timely boost to the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration ambitions. It also offers the prospect of greater information and experience sharing. Being an Enhanced Opportunities Partner will bring Ukraine a number of potential benefits including improved access to interoperability programs and exercises. Ukraine is the sixth country to receive this status, joining Australia, Finland, Sweden, Georgia and Jordan. NATO moved to upgrade its relationship with Ukraine on June 12 by officially recognizing the country as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner.
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