The United States and Ukraine’s Aspirations for NATO Membership

The aim of the article is to analyze and evaluate the attitude of the United States towards Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership after the Cold War. Particular attention was paid to the period after the outbreak of war in 2022. The main research problem is the following questions: What role does Ukraine play in the US-Russia geostrategic rivalry after the Cold War? Has the United States been determined and consistent in supporting Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership after the Cold War? Has the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022 affected the US attitude towards Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership? The United States supported NATO’s “open door” policy, including the possibility of joining the Alliance by post-Soviet states, including Ukraine. However, international factors and the situation in Ukraine meant that the US was not determined to finalize this process, and the approach of individual US administrations to this issue fluctuated. The outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022 caused the US to postpone the issue of Ukraine’s possible membership in NATO for the post-war period. During the research, experts and scientists from research centers in Washington D.C. and New York were interviewed. The method of content analysis of text sources was also used.