Ukrainian Citizens Oppose Joining NATO
Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko both advocate for closer ties with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) - seemingly one of the few things they agree upon. Though the Ukrainian government has already begun talks with NATO, this will not be an easy process. The ultimate decision to join NATO requires a referendum, and according to a recent poll by the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, 52.8% of Ukrainian citizens oppose the idea, while only 31.8% favor the action.
The hesitancy of Ukrainians may be partially due to NATO being originally formed in 1949 to help prevent a possible attack by the Soviet Union on North America or Western Europe. The Soviet Union may have disintegrated over 16 years ago, but many people in Ukraine maintain their loyalty to Russia, if not even old Soviet ideals. There is also a question of what exactly is NATO today, and how would Ukraine fit in to the organization?
Today, Ukrainians seem to be much more interested in joining the European Union (EU) than NATO. Either way, European integration seems inevitable, but joining the EU may cause less damage to Russian relations than joining NATO. Yushchenko and Tymoshenko face a rough road at home if they really want NATO membership for their country.
The hesitancy of Ukrainians may be partially due to NATO being originally formed in 1949 to help prevent a possible attack by the Soviet Union on North America or Western Europe. The Soviet Union may have disintegrated over 16 years ago, but many people in Ukraine maintain their loyalty to Russia, if not even old Soviet ideals. There is also a question of what exactly is NATO today, and how would Ukraine fit in to the organization?
Today, Ukrainians seem to be much more interested in joining the European Union (EU) than NATO. Either way, European integration seems inevitable, but joining the EU may cause less damage to Russian relations than joining NATO. Yushchenko and Tymoshenko face a rough road at home if they really want NATO membership for their country.
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