Statebuilding and Political Priorities in Post-Soviet Ukraine: The Role of the Military

Abstract

This article explores the development of military institutions in independent Ukraine, from the breakup of the USSR in 1991 until late 1994. Under Ukraine's first president, Leonid Kravchuk, Ukraine's leaders placed a strong priority on developing the armed forces in order to safeguard independence. For political and social reasons, this was initially seen by the elite as a desirable and beneficial approach to statebuilding, given Ukraine's difficult circumstances. However, the prioritization of the military brought political controversy, and economic weaknesses made an independent Ukrainian armed forces more difficult to sustain in the long term. The lesson is that while leaders of new states may feel a need to choose statebuilding priorities, an emphasis on military development must nonetheless consider the influence of social and economic factors.