Polityka bezpieczeństwa Ukrainy po 2010 roku (en translation)

Abstract: The focus of the present paper is on Ukraine’s security policy after 2010, the year when Viktor Janukovych was elected the country’s President. In terms of international security, Ukraine is placed in a “security vacuum,” as it does not belong to any organization responsible for the security of the European or the Eurasian area. The policy of the Ukrainian government, as far as security (defense) is concerned, is a reactive one, i,e, it responds to current threats and challenges, both immediate and more distant. On the other hand, the concepts and strategies referring to Ukraine’s security policy are declarative in character or serve tactical, electoral or other purposes, yet do not reflect the actual concern and thought given by the Ukrainian policymakers to the state’s security. The factors affecting the security situation in Ukraine are external (the policies of NATO, the EU and the Russian Federation) and internal (the influence of oligarchic groups on the shape of the country’s political system, its foreign and security policies). One must give due consideration to all of these factors when analyzing Ukraine’s security policy.