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Relations with Ukraine

Last updated: 28 Jul. 2023 15:22

The security of Ukraine is of great importance to NATO and its

member states. The Alliance fully supports Ukraine’s inherent right to
self-defence, and its right to choose its own security arrangements.
Ukraine’s future is in NATO. Relations between NATO and Ukraine
date back to the early 1990s and have since developed into one of the
most substantial of NATO’s partnerships. Since 2014, in the wake of
Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, cooperation has been intensified
in critical areas. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, NATO and
Allies have provided unprecedented levels of support.
Evolution of NATO-Ukraine relations

Dialogue and cooperation started when newly independent Ukraine joined

the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (1991) and the Partnership for
Peace programme (1994).
Relations were strengthened with the signing of the 1997 Charter on a
Distinctive Partnership, and further enhanced in 2009 with the Declaration
to Complement the Charter, which rea"rmed the decision by NATO
Leaders at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine will become a member
of NATO.
The 1997 Charter established the NATO-Ukraine Commission as the main
body responsible for developing the NATO-Ukraine relationship and for
directing cooperative activities. In 2023, the Commission was replaced by
the NATO-Ukraine Council, where Allies and Ukraine sit as equals. This
change demonstrates the strengthening of political ties and Ukraine’s
increasing integration with NATO.
Cooperation has deepened over time and is mutually beneficial. Ukraine
has a long track record of active contributions to NATO-led operations and
 missions.

Political and practical support to Ukraine

NATO condemns Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in the

strongest possible terms. This aggression gravely undermines Euro-Atlantic
and global security, and is a blatant violation of international law. NATO
Allies, in concert with relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly,
demand that Russia stop the war immediately, cease its use of force
against Ukraine, and completely and unconditionally withdraw all its forces
from Ukraine.
The Allies do not and will never recognise Russia's illegal and illegitimate
annexations, including of Crimea. Since Russia's illegal annexation of
Crimea and the beginning of its aggression in eastern Ukraine in
2014, NATO has reinforced its support for capability development and
capacity-building in Ukraine, alongside Allied training of tens of thousands
of Ukrainian troops.
Since the NATO Summit in Warsaw in July 2016, NATO's practical support
for Ukraine is set out in the Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) for
Ukraine. At the 2022 Madrid Summit, Allies strengthened the CAP to
provide even more support to Ukraine. At the 2023 Vilnius Summit, Allies
agreed to further develop the CAP into a multi-year programme of
assistance, to help rebuild the Ukrainian security and defence sector and
transition Ukraine towards full interoperability with NATO.
NATO stands in unwavering solidarity with the government and people of
Ukraine in the heroic defence of their nation, their land and our shared
values. The Alliance fully supports Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defence
as enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. NATO Allies will
continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Ukraine’s membership aspirations

In response to Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership, Allies agreed at

the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine will become a member of NATO.
They also agreed that Ukraine’s next step on its way to membership was
the Membership Action Plan (MAP), NATO’s programme of political,
economic, defence, resource, security and legal reforms for aspirant
countries. In 2009, the Annual National Programme was introduced as
Ukraine’s key instrument to advance its Euro-Atlantic integration and
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 related reforms.
From 2010 to 2014, Ukraine pursued a non-alignment policy, which it
terminated in response to Russia’s aggression. In June 2017, the Ukrainian
Parliament adopted legislation reinstating membership in NATO as a
strategic foreign and security policy objective. In 2019, a corresponding
amendment to Ukraine's Constitution entered into force.
In September 2020, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved Ukraine's
new National Security Strategy, which provides for the development of the
distinctive partnership with NATO with the aim of membership in NATO. In
September 2022, following Russia’s illegal attempted annexations of
Ukrainian territory, Ukraine reiterated its request for NATO membership.
At the 2023 Vilnius Summit, Allies rea"rmed their commitment that
Ukraine will become a member of NATO. Recognising Ukraine’s increased
interoperability and substantial progress with reforms, they decided that
Ukraine’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration has moved beyond the need
for the Membership Action Plan. Allies will continue to support and review
Ukraine’s progress on interoperability as well as additional democratic and
security sector reforms that are required on its path towards future
membership. NATO Foreign Ministers will regularly assess progress
through the adapted Annual National Programme. NATO will be in a
position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies
agree and conditions are met.

Response to Russia's war against Ukraine

Practical support to Ukraine – the Comprehensive Assistance Package
The NATO Representation to Ukraine
Evolution of NATO-Ukraine relations
Wider cooperation

Response to Russia's war against Ukraine

NATO condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia's illegal, unjustifiable and
unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, which gravely undermines Euro-Atlantic
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and global security and stability, and is a blatant violation of international law. NATO
Allies, in concert with relevant resolutions of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly,
demand that Russia stop the war immediately, cease its use of force against Ukraine,
and completely and unconditionally withdraw all its forces from Ukraine.

Furthermore, NATO Allies call on Russia to fully respect international humanitarian law,
and to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and assistance to all persons in
need. There can be no impunity for Russian war crimes and other atrocities, such as
attacks against civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, which deprives
millions of Ukrainians of basic human services. All those responsible must be held
accountable for violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian
law, particularly against Ukraine’s civilian population, including the forced deportation
of children and conflict-related sexual violence.

Russia’s war has also had a profound impact on the environment, nuclear safety,
energy and food security, the global economy and the welfare of billions of people
around the world. Allies and Ukraine strongly condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw
from the Black Sea grain deal and its deliberate attempts to stop Ukraine’s agricultural
exports, on which hundreds of millions of people worldwide depend. Allies are working
to revitalise the grain deal and to enable the continued exports of Ukrainian grain by
land and sea, including in cooperation with the European Union and the United
Nations.

Since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and the beginning of its aggression in
eastern Ukraine in 2014, NATO has adopted a firm position in full support of Ukraine's
sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders,
extending to its territorial waters. The Allies strongly condemn and will not recognise
Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, and denounce its temporary
occupation.

NATO Allies have equally condemned Russia's continued aggression and destabilising
activities in eastern Ukraine and the Black Sea region since 2014. NATO has increased
its presence in the Black Sea and stepped up maritime cooperation with Ukraine and
Georgia.

NATO also condemns Russia's illegal attempt to annex four regions of Ukraine –
Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – in September 2022, which is the largest
attempted land grab in Europe since the Second World War. The sham referenda in
these regions were engineered in Moscow and imposed on Ukraine. They have no
legitimacy, and NATO will not recognise them. These lands are Ukraine and will always
be Ukraine. The overwhelming vote in the United Nations General Assembly
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condemning Russia's attempted annexations sent a clear and strong message that
Russia is isolated and that the world stands with Ukraine, in defence of the rules-based
international order.

As a result of Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, NATO Allies decided
in 2014 to suspend all practical civilian and military cooperation with Russia, while
leaving political and military channels of communication open. Since Russia's full-scale
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Allies have imposed severe sanctions on Russia to
help starve the Kremlin's war machine of resources. Allies continue to refine these
sanctions in order to increase the pressure on Moscow. These e#orts will make it
harder for Russia to rebuild its tanks, manufacture missiles and finance its war.

Since 2014, regular consultations have taken place in the NATO-Ukraine Commission in
view of the direct threats faced by Ukraine to its territorial integrity, political
independence and security. The Commission met for extraordinary meetings following
Russia’s aggression in Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014, after Russia's unjustified use
of military force against Ukrainian ships near the Kerch Strait in November 2018 and
during Russia's threatening military build-up in April 2021. Other extraordinary
meetings of the Commission took place at NATO Headquarters in January and February
2022, focused on Russia's military build-up and unprovoked invasion of
Ukraine. Throughout the war, NATO and Ukraine continued to consult on the security
situation and Allied support to Ukraine through the Commission. In July 2023, the
NATO-Ukraine Council, newly established at the 2023 Vilnius Summit, met as part of a
crisis consultation mechanism in view of Russia’s escalation in the Black Sea region.

NATO stands in unwavering solidarity with the government and people of Ukraine in
the heroic defence of their nation, their land and our shared values. The Alliance fully
supports Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defence as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN
Charter. NATO Allies remain steadfast in their commitment to further stepping up
political and practical support to Ukraine as it continues to defend its independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. NATO
will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Practical support to Ukraine – the Comprehensive Assistance

Package
In parallel to its political support, NATO has significantly stepped up its practical
assistance to Ukraine. Immediately following the illegal and illegitimate annexation of
Crimea by Russia in 2014, NATO Foreign Ministers agreed on measures to enhance
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Ukraine's ability to provide for its own security. They also decided to further develop
their practical support to Ukraine, based on a significant enhancement of existing
cooperation programmes as well as the development of substantial new programmes.

At the 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw, the Alliance's measures in support of Ukraine
became part of the Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP), which is designed to
support Ukraine's ability to provide for its own security and to implement wide-ranging
reforms based on NATO standards, Euro-Atlantic principles and best practices.

Under the CAP, NATO has helped Ukraine transform its security and defence sector for
many years, providing strategic-level advice via the NATO Representation to Ukraine
and practical support through a range of capacity-building programmes and initiatives.
Through these programmes and tailored advice, NATO has significantly strengthened
the capacity and resilience of Ukraine's security and defence sector, as well as its ability
to counter hybrid threats. NATO and Allies have also provided extensive support to
capability development, including through training and education and the provision of
equipment.

Complementing the CAP, several Trust Funds have been launched since 2014. These
Trust Funds provide resources to support capability development and sustainable
capacity-building in key areas. Active Trust Fund projects focus on:

Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4), which assists

Ukraine in reorganising and modernising its C4 structures and capabilities;

Medical Rehabilitation, which seeks to support Ukraine in enhancing its medical

rehabilitation system to ensure that long-term sustainable services are provided
to patients, including active and discharged Ukrainian servicemen and women and
civilian personnel from the defence and security sector; and a

Professional Development Programme, which helps develop the abilities of

civilians working in Ukraine's defence and security institutions.

Completed Trust Funds have also supported Ukraine in the areas of military career
transition; explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and countering improvised explosive
devices (C-IED); the destruction of small arms and light weapons (SALW), conventional
ammunition, and anti-personnel landmines; ammunition stockpile safety management;
safe radioactive waste disposal and land restoration; cyber defence; and logistics and
standardization.
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Strengthening the Comprehensive Assistance Package

At the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Allies agreed to strengthen the CAP and provide
even more support to Ukraine. The strengthened CAP includes initiatives to provide
Ukraine with immediate, short-term, non-lethal military assistance, as well as structures
to boost NATO's long-term support. Since the Madrid Summit, Allies and partners have
committed over EUR 500 million to the CAP.

Non-lethal assistance based on Ukraine’s immediate needs

Under the Ukraine CAP Trust Fund, since February 2022, NATO has delivered projects
providing support in multiple areas, including:

combat rations,
fuel materiel (including jet fuel),
army boots,
medical supplies (including first aid kits and pharmaceuticals),
military education and training equipment,
chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) detectors and protection,
explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) equipment
counter-drone equipment, and
enhanced satellite communication.

Additional projects are in various stages of development and delivery, including:

further support to Ukraine in the area of C4 (Command, Control, Communications

and Computers),
amphibious bridge and ferry systems,
shelters and generators,
mobile showers,
mobile laundry units,
food catering equipment,
ambulances and fire trucks,
fuel trucks and transfer tanks,
water trucks,
tires,
batteries, and
winter clothing.

In parallel to NATO’s provision of non-lethal assistance, Allies have significantly stepped

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up their bilateral support and provision of weapons, equipment and training, helping
Ukraine to uphold its right of self-defence, which is enshrined in the United Nations
Charter. Allies are also providing substantial financial and humanitarian aid, including
by hosting millions of refugees in countries all across the Alliance. NATO Allies have
agreed to step up and sustain their support for as long as necessary, so that Ukraine
prevails.

Longer-term support to Ukraine

At the 2023 Vilnius Summit, Allies agreed to further develop the CAP into a multi-year
programme of assistance for Ukraine, based on sustained and predictable funding. The
assistance provided will help rebuild the Ukrainian security and defence sector, and
continue Ukraine’s transition towards full interoperability with NATO, including its
progress from Soviet-era to NATO standards, training and doctrines. Allies will also
assist Ukraine in coping with the physical and social consequences of war, including
support to demining and coordinated medical assistance. NATO and Ukraine will also
work together on lessons learned from the war.

The NATO Representation to Ukraine

The NATO Representation to Ukraine, established in September 2015 to oversee two
already existing o"ces, supports cooperation on the ground. It consists of the NATO
Information and Documentation Centre (NIDC) and the NATO Liaison O"ce (NLO).

NATO Information and Documentation Centre (NIDC)

The NIDC was inaugurated in Kyiv in 1997 to support e#orts to inform the Ukrainian
public about NATO's activities and the benefits of NATO-Ukraine cooperation. The NIDC
is part of the NATO Public Diplomacy Division and was the first information o"ce
established by NATO in a partner country and open to the general public. The Centre
has three key pillars of work:

increasing awareness and understanding of NATO in Ukraine;

informing the Ukrainian public about key activities in NATO-Ukraine cooperation;
and
providing advice and support to Ukrainian institutions in the area of strategic
communications capability development.

In order to facilitate NATO's core mission and activities in Ukraine, the NIDC supports
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various public diplomacy and communications projects, including round tables,
seminars, conferences and multimedia projects.

NATO Liaison O!ce (NLO)

The NLO was established in Kyiv in 1999 and plays a key role in facilitating NATO-
Ukraine cooperation. Its main priorities include:

maintaining contact with Ukrainian ministries and agencies;

advising Ukrainian authorities on activities in support of the NATO-Ukraine
partnership and reforms, in particular the Ministries of Foreign A#airs, Defence
and Interior; the National Security and Defence Council; the Security Service of
Ukraine; the Parliament; and non-governmental organisations;
enhancing NATO-Ukraine political and practical dialogue; and supporting contacts
between NATO and Ukrainian civil and military authorities and advisers.

The NATO Representation to Ukraine leads on the provision of strategic-level advice

under NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine.

Evolution of NATO-Ukraine relations

NATO-Ukraine relations were formally launched in 1991, when the newly independent
country joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC), a forum for dialogue and
cooperation between NATO Allies and their former Warsaw Pact adversaries. A few
years later, in 1994, Ukraine joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP), a programme of
practical bilateral cooperation between individual partner countries and NATO. It was
one of the founding members of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), which
replaced the NACC in May 1997.

The July 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership remains the basic foundation
underpinning NATO-Ukraine relations. The Charter established the NATO-Ukraine
Commission as the main body responsible for advancing NATO-Ukraine relations. The
Commission directed cooperative activities and provided a forum for consultation
between the Allies and Ukraine on security issues of common concern.

The Declaration to Complement the Charter, signed in 2009 as a follow-up to the

decisions taken at the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest, gave the Commission a central
role in deepening political dialogue and cooperation to underpin Ukraine's reform
e#orts pertaining to its Euro-Atlantic aspirations for membership in NATO. The principal
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tool to support this process is the Annual National Programme (ANP), which reflects
Ukraine's national reform objectives and annual implementation plans. The ANP has
been composed of five chapters focusing on: political and economic issues; defence
and military issues; resources; security issues; and legal issues. This includes reforms
related to good governance, the fight against corruption, the rule of law, human rights,
and the security and defence sector, in accordance with Euro-Atlantic principles and
standards.

Allies assess progress under the ANP annually. The responsibility for its implementation
falls primarily on Ukraine. The Commission for Coordination of Euro-Atlantic Integration
of Ukraine, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic
Integration, ensures the general coordination of its implementation by the state
bodies.

In 2023, the NATO-Ukraine Council was established as the successor to the NATO-
Ukraine Commission. The change from Commission to Council demonstrates the
strengthening of political ties and Ukraine’s increasing integration with NATO. In the
Council format, Ukraine sits alongside all NATO member states as an equal participant.
The Council can be convened by the Secretary General as well as by its individual
participants, including Ukraine, for crisis consultations. The inaugural meeting of the
NATO-Ukraine Council took place on 12 July 2023 at the Vilnius Summit.

Wider cooperation
Since 2014, in the wake of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, NATO-Ukraine
cooperation has been intensified in critical areas. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of
Ukraine starting in February 2022, NATO and Allies have provided unprecedented levels
of support to Ukraine.

But NATO's support to Ukraine and activities in partnership with the country did not
begin in 2014 or 2022 – practical cooperation between NATO and Ukraine has been
ongoing since the 1990s. Over the years, Ukraine's cooperation with NATO has been
mutually beneficial and has covered a wide range of activities – from building Ukraine's
capabilities and interoperability with NATO forces, to promoting reforms in Ukraine's
defence and related security sector, to supporting non-military activities like
collaborative scientific research and public diplomacy.

In addition to the Ukraine CAP Trust Fund projects described above, NATO's
cooperation with Ukraine has been implemented through the following programmes
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and initiatives:

the NATO-Ukraine Platform on Countering Hybrid Warfare,

the Resilience Advisory Support Team,
the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Planning and Review Process,
the NATO Building Integrity (BI) process and the annual BI tailored programme,
the NATO Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP),
the Air Situation Data Exchange programme,
the Military Committee with Ukraine Work Plan,
the Operational Capabilities Concept Evaluation and Feedback Programme,
the Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme, and
many other initiatives organised through the advisory mission of the NATO
Representation in Kyiv.

Furthermore, cooperation has been organised through several sub-groups of the

NATO-Ukraine Commission, including:

the NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR),

the Joint Working Group on Defence Technical Cooperation (JWGDTC),

Ukraine has also provided support for NATO-led operations and missions, enhancing
the interoperability of Ukrainian troops with NATO armed forces.

NATO-Ukraine Platform on Countering Hybrid Warfare

Against the background of the initial stages of Russia's war against Ukraine – not just
the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, but also the use of cyber attacks,
disinformation and other hybrid activities over the subsequent years – the NATO-
Ukraine Platform on Countering Hybrid Warfare was established at the NATO Summit in
Warsaw in July 2016. It provides a mechanism to be better able to identify hybrid
threats and to build capacity in identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening resilience
of the state and society. Projects in support of research, training and expert
consultations are ongoing, with a focus on lessons learned, countering disinformation
and enhancing resilience.

Resilience Advisory Support Team (RAST)

Since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilisation of eastern Ukraine in

2014, experts have provided advice on Ukraine's contingency plans and crisis
management measures to defend critical energy infrastructure and protect the civilian
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population. Today, cooperation focuses on improving national capacity for civil
preparedness and resilience. In 2019, a Resilience Advisory Support Team (RAST) drew
up recommendations to Ukrainian institutions with regard to the enhancement of
national resilience. At Ukraine's request, follow-up expert-level RAST consultations
providing technical advice to support the country's long-term resilience and civil
preparedness activities took place in early 2022, prior to Russia's full-scale invasion.
Ukraine also participates regularly in activities organised by NATO's Euro-Atlantic
Disaster Response Coordination Centre and has itself hosted multiple disaster
response exercises.

Partnership for Peace (PfP) Planning and Review Process

Participation in the PfP Planning and Review Process has helped Ukraine set and
achieve ambitious yet realistic objectives for defence and security reforms,
transformation and capability development; for improving the ability of its forces to
operate alongside Allied and partner forces in crisis response and peace-support
operations; and for enhancing Ukraine's ability to host Allied and partner forces for
exercises and training.

Building Integrity (BI) process

Since 2007, Ukraine has participated in NATO's Building Integrity (BI) Initiative, which
provides practical assistance and advice for strengthening integrity, accountability and
transparency in the defence and security sector. In October 2019, nine institutions of
Ukraine's defence and security sector completed the NATO BI Self-Assessment and Peer
Review Process, which provided a thorough assessment of institutional needs and
vulnerabilities and o#ered a set of policy-level sectoral recommendations to improve
good governance and pursue sustainable anti-corruption reforms in the defence and
related security sectors. On this basis, a tailored programme of activities continues to
provide two levels of capacity-building support – specific expertise to the institutions to
enhance the good governance and management of defence resources (financial,
human and materiel), and education and training activities to develop individual
capacities and foster an organisational culture of integrity.

Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP)

The Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP) has helped to improve and
restructure Ukraine's military education and professional training systems, focusing on
eight defence higher education institutions and five training centres for Non-
Commissioned O"cers. Additionally, DEEP advises on management of the academies
and universities, supporting faculty on how to teach and assisting in the development
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of courses on leadership and decision-making processes.

Air Situation Data Exchange programme

Ukraine joined the Air Situation Data Exchange programme in July 2006. It enhances
awareness and aviation safety through the mutual sharing of air situation data, which
improves the operational e#ectiveness of air defence through the identification,
classification and potential de-confliction of aircraft. This capability has had particular
operational relevance and benefit following Russia's further invasion of Ukrainian
territory since February 2022. NATO has been working closely with Ukraine to provide
the most relevant information possible.

Military Committee with Ukraine Work Plan

Participation in a wide range of military activities and exercises under the Military
Committee with Ukraine Work Plan focuses on improving the interoperability and
operational capabilities of Ukraine's armed forces, but also substantially contributes to
ongoing security and defence reforms.

NATO Operational Capabilities Concept Evaluation and Feedback Programme

Ukraine's active participation in the NATO Operational Capabilities Concept Evaluation

and Feedback Programme supports the further development of the armed forces, while
also enabling the Alliance to put together tailored force packages that can be deployed
in support of NATO-led operations and missions.

Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme

Ukraine has been actively engaged in NATO's Science for Peace and Security (SPS)
Programme since 1991. A Joint Working Group on Scientific and Environmental
Cooperation contributes to identifying priority areas for practical scientific cooperation
in the framework of the SPS Programme. Since 2014, in response to the crisis in
Ukraine, cooperation in the field of security-related civil science and technology has
been strengthened, and Ukraine has since become the largest beneficiary of the SPS
Programme. Leading areas of cooperation with Ukraine in the SPS framework include
advanced technology, counter-terrorism, defence against chemical, biological,
radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents, as well as energy and environmental security.
Among these activities, noteworthy is the participation of Ukraine in the DEXTER
Programme, which is developing an integrated system to detect explosives and
firearms in public spaces.

Other initiatives
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In addition to the programmes listed above, Ukraine has participated in many other
initiatives organised through the advisory mission of the NATO Representation in
Ukraine.

NATO supports Ukraine in implementing United Nations Security Council

Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
A legal framework has been established to enable NATO and Ukraine to further
develop operational cooperation, including the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Status
of Forces Agreement (entered into force in May 2000); the Host Nation Support
Agreement (ratified in March 2004); and the Strategic Airlift Agreement (ratified in
October 2006).
In June 2020, Ukraine became an Enhanced Opportunity Partner (EOP). This is a
status o#ered to participants in NATO's Partnership Interoperability Initiative that
have made particularly significant contributions to NATO operations and other
Alliance objectives. EOP status works as a facilitator, providing Ukraine
preferential access to NATO's interoperability toolbox, including exercises,
training, exchange of information and situational awareness. The other EOPs are
Australia, Georgia, Jordan and Sweden.
Ukraine has also built capacity and interoperability through participation in
the NATO Response Force.

NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR)

NATO and Ukraine cooperation in the area of defence and security sector reform is
more extensive than with any other partner country. The NATO-Ukraine Joint Working
Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR) is the primary focus for this area of cooperation.

Established in 1998 under the auspices of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, the JWGDR
pursues initiatives in the area of civil-military relations, democratic oversight and civilian
management of the armed forces and other security sector agencies, defence planning,
development of policy, strategy and national security concepts.

The JWGDR allows Ukraine to draw on Allied countries' considerable experience and
expertise, and serves as a tool through which the Allies can channel assistance. It also
provides the institutional basis for NATO's cooperation with ministries and agencies
engaged in implementing defence and security sector reform in Ukraine. These include
the National Security and Defence Council, the Ministries of Foreign A#airs and
Defence, National Guard, Border Guard Service, Security Service of Ukraine, the
Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and others.
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All NATO member states and Ukraine are represented in meetings of the JWGDR, and
relevant partner countries and civil society representatives are invited to the JWGDR on
a case-by-case basis.

NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defence Technical Cooperation (JWGDTC)

Since 2004, the NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defence Technical Cooperation
(JWGDTC) has worked toward increased cooperation in capability development, defence
equipment procurement processes, and the development of technical standards. This
includes standardization, codification, logistics and life cycle management, as well as
cooperation with NATO's Conference of National Armaments Directors and the NATO
Science and Technology Organization. This Joint Working Group is also a forum in which
Ukraine's defence industry reform e#orts are discussed.

Support for NATO-led operations and missions

Ukraine has contributed to the peace-support operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It

has also contributed to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), including with a heavy engineering
unit with counter-improvised explosive devices capabilities.

In support of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, Ukraine

allowed over-flight clearance and the transit of supplies, and contributed medical
personnel to support Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan and instructors to
the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan. Following the end of ISAF's mission in 2014,
Ukraine supported the follow-on Resolute Support Mission (2015-2021) to train, advise
and assist Afghan security forces.

From March 2005, Ukraine contributed o"cers to the NATO Training Mission in Iraq,
which terminated in December 2011.

Ukraine deployed ships six times between 2007 and 2010 in support of
Operation Active Endeavour, a counter-terrorist maritime surveillance operation in the
Mediterranean Sea. In 2013, it also contributed to NATO's counter-piracy
operation Ocean Shield. Since the launch of maritime operation Sea Guardian in 2016,
Ukraine has provided information in support of NATO's maritime situational awareness
in and around the Black Sea.
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