Differing perspectives on military partnership: understanding the NATO-Ukraine Enhanced Opportunities Partnership (EOP)

Abstract

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has brought significant attention to the relationship between NATO and Ukraine as well as the prospect of Ukraine joining the alliance. Ukraine’s continued defiance against Russian aggression and interoperability with NATO has translated into battlefield successes against Russia’s ongoing invasion, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirming that NATO membership remains a key priority. As the official partnership agreement between NATO and Ukraine, the Enhanced Opportunities Partnership (EOP) has grown in relevance for aiding Ukraine in its goal of becoming a NATO member. However, the existence of the NATO-Ukraine EOP presents a research puzzle given that Ukraine’s goal with NATO is membership and there is possible military utility for NATO to instead extend membership to Ukraine. As the first academic study on the NATO-Ukraine EOP, this thesis aims to address this research puzzle using discourse analysis and semi-structured interviews for understanding the differing perspectives that NATO and Ukraine have on the EOP. In analyzing the NATO-Ukraine EOP, the thesis provides an explanation for why the NATO-Ukraine EOP exists and how it has been implemented since its creation in June 2020.