NATO Ukraine’s Policy in 2014-2023: Phantom Pains of the ‘Russia First’ Approach

• In Event: Empathy versus Empire: How (Non)Understanding of Imperialism Shapes Discourses and Decisions in and about Ukraine, Europe, and Beyond

Abstract

Devising its policies towards the former Soviet countries through the lenses of Russian interests had
been a widespread tendency among Western policymakers, analysts, and scholars. Accepting the
Russian ‘realpolitik’ terms in the international arena and neglecting the voices of those directly affected
by its actions led to a lack of understanding of the actual realities on the ground. In other words, the
region was perceived through colonial lenses when independent countries have been treated as Russia’s
“sphere of special interests” - a term coined by Moscow after the 2008 war in Georgia.
Our study investigates how such ‘Russia first’ approach influenced NATO strategy towards Ukraine’s
membership. Relying on NATO official documents and decisions over the last 9 years (2014–2023) we
trace how the Alliance’s policies regarding Ukraine’s potential accession changed, or remained intact, in
line with its evolving approach towards Russia. Chronologically, our analysis is divided in two periods:
starting with Russia’s aggression of 2014 till February 2022; and after the full-scale invasion of February
2022 through 2023.
The Empathy vs. Empire clash is reflected in the analysis of how NATO’s enlargement policy has been
self-constrained by seeing Eastern European states as Russia’s “sphere of special interests” and factoring
in Moscow’s concerns and potential response into its policies towards Ukraine. The de-colonization of
such approach envisages a set of measures, including intentional efforts of identifying and learning from
mistakes made in the lead-up to and during Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine.

Author

• Kateryna Shynkaruk, Texas A&M U