A key country for stability and security in Europe, Ukraine is struggling to create consistent foreign and security policies. Political alliances, identity struggles, economic goals, and geopolitical position all pull this newly emergent state in different and often conflicting directions. Due to its dependencies on both the West and Russia, Ukraine's foreign policy is in a state of flux. To ensure stability in this newly-emergent state, the contributors to this volume argue that the West should be more assertive in offering an unambiguous developmental perspective, supporting democracy and the rule of law, and offer E.U. affiliation in the near future. International Relations theory and Ukraine's foreign policy are examined in the first section, followed by chapters exploring civil-military relations. Next comes a look at Ukraine's foreign and security policy orientations in comparative context. The book concludes with chapters focusing on matters of national identity, ideology, and their impact on Ukrainian security policy. Scholars and analysts of contemporary Eastern European politics will be interested in what these well-known scholars and government officials have to say about the contemporary state of affairs in this pivotal nation.

Security Dynamics in the Former Soviet Bloc focuses on four former Soviet sub-regions (the Baltic Sea region, the Slavic republics, the Black Sea region, and Central Asia) to explore the degree to which 'democratic security', which includes de-politicisation of, and civilian oversight of, the military, resolution of conflicts by international cooperation, and involvement in international organisations. It examines how far states in these regions have developed cooperative foreign and security policies towards their immediate neighbours and key Western states and organisations, explores the interplay between internal and external aspects of democratic security building, and uses case-study examples to show how inter-state bi-lateral and multi-lateral relations are developing.

Security Dynamics in the Former Soviet Bloc focuses on four former Soviet sub-regions (the Baltic Sea region, the Slavic republics, the Black Sea region, and Central Asia) to explore the degree to which 'democratic security', which includes de-politicisation of, and civilian oversight of, the military, resolution of conflicts by international cooperation, and involvement in international organisations. It examines how far states in these regions have developed cooperative foreign and security policies towards their immediate neighbours and key Western states and organisations, explores the interplay between internal and external aspects of democratic security building, and uses case-study examples to show how inter-state bi-lateral and multi-lateral relations are developing.

NATO's quickly evolving relationship with Central and Eastern Europe is forming a new basis for security in the region. Enlargement into the former-Soviet bloc, the conflict over Kosovo, and developing foreign and domestic events are drastically changing the technical aspects of security management, the perceptions of security held by the region's countries, and the actual security situation on the ground. Almost NATO broadly examines the region's current security situation and specifically explores NATO's relationship with Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and the Baltic states all non-members, but each with its own expectations for membership and relationship to the organization. Russia's interaction with NATO since the end of the Cold War and that country's crucial role in the region's future rounds out the regional coverage. The book's connective tissue is a broader concept of security that encompasses the European Union, environmental concerns, minority issues, and economic and political performance as Europe moves into the 21st century. The interrelationship and significance of varied concepts of security are summarized and further developed in the concluding chapter, along with an effort to place developments in the region within a more theoretical perspective. The result is a book of significant breadth and substantial utility, one invaluable to readers trying to understand the region and NATO's role in its security.