Reforming the Armed Forces in the сontext of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Integration: Interaction of International and National Law

Sources of legal regulation of the reform of the national armed forces in Ukraine are explored in the article. The interaction of international and national law in this area is characterized. The reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a long process and has been going on for more than twenty years. The reform is conditioned by the need to create a combat-ready armed forces that will perform the tasks of Ukraine's defense. A feature of reforming this area is the implementation of the provisions of the standards of such an international organization as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This determines the interaction of national and international law. The Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Ukraine and the other international treaties between NATO and Ukraine are international legal sources regulating the reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Laws of Ukraine «On the Armed Forces of Ukraine», «On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Military Standards», the Strategic Defense Bulletin of Ukraine, the Military Doctrine of Ukraine and other regulations are domestic sources of legal regulation of defense sector reform. Based on the analysis of these documents, the author claims that one of the important directions in the reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the implementation of NATO standards. The provisions of NATO standards are not directly applicable and are subject to implementation in Ukrainian law. Ukraine is not a member of multilateral agreements within NATO, but bilateral agreements with the Alliance regulate cooperation in the implementation of NATO Standards in Ukraine. The practice of implementing NATO legal provisions helps to avoid legal conflicts in the regulation of the defense sphere, which may arise due to the regulation by international acts of army reform.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300022256 ◽

1954 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 402-408

Keyword(s):

North Atlantic ◽

Foreign Minister ◽

Armed Forces ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

Annual Review ◽

Atomic Weapons ◽

The North ◽

The Press ◽

Maximum Effort ◽

The Military

CouncilThe twelfth session of the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was held in Paris, December 14 to 16, 1953, under the chairmanship of French Foreign Minister Bidault. Prior to the opening of the Council session, the permanent representatives of the NATO members and the Military Committee held a series of meetings in Paris preparing the annual review of the military situation of NATO and estimates and recommendations for future action. According to information appearing in the press, the military experts of NATO did not emphasize in this report, as they had done in the past, the need or desirability of numerical increases in NATO armed forces; instead, they were reported to emphasize the need for improving the quality, maintenance, and supplies of existing forces. At a press conference on December 11, Admiral Qvistgaard (Denmark), Chairman of the Military Committee, said that the committee was “satisfied” with the military progress of NATO in 1953 and that force goals set at the April 1953 meeting of the NATO Council had been “substantially achieved”. The Committee shared the view, however, of the Supreme Commander, Allied Forces, Europe (SACEUR, Gruenther) that the Supreme Command (SCAP) was deficient in airpower. In analyzing current Soviet strength, Admiral Qvistgaard said that the Committee saw no sign of a slackening of Soviet strength. Studies on the effect of atomic weapons on NATO defense plans were not yet completed, the Admiral continued. He added that it was the view of the Committee that NATO had nearly reached a state of preparedness which represented what most countries considered their maximum effort.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300023389 ◽

1956 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 220-223

Keyword(s):

Soviet Union ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Armed Forces ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

Atomic Weapons ◽

The North ◽

The Soviet Union ◽

The North Atlantic ◽

The Military ◽

Met Expectations

The fifteen countries members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) were represented by their defense ministers at a conference held in Paris from October 10 to 12, under the chairmanship of Lord Ismay (Vice Chairman of the North Atlantic Council and Secretary General of NATO). The meeting, which was attended by the Standing Group and the Supreme Commanders, was a preliminary to the full ministerial session, to be held in December; it was the first occasion on which the NATO defense ministers met in Council without the foreign or finance ministers. A communique issued at the close of the meeting stated that the meeting had primarily been for the exchange of information, and that the ministers had heard statements on the strategic situation and on western defensive arrangements from General Sir John Whiteley (United Kingdom), Chairman of the Standing Group, and from his colleagues on the Standing Group, General Joseph Lawton Collins (United States), General Jean Valluy (France), General Alfred M. Gruenther (SACEUR), Admiral Jerauld Wright (SACLANT) and several other officers. Following these statements, a useful exchange of views between the defense ministers took place, the communique concluded. It was reported that many of the speakers had concurred in the view that the military potential of the Soviet Union was steadily increasing, especially in the areas of atomic weapons and submarines, that the recently announced decision to reduce the armed forces in the Soviet Union and some of the people's democracies did not modify the potential of communist forces, and that it was therefore indispensable to intensify the NATO military effort, which so far had not met expectations for it.

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Strategy and the Atlantic Alliance

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300034627 ◽

1963 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 709-732 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Robert R. Bowie

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

North Atlantic ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

The United States ◽

The North ◽

Nuclear Control ◽

The North Atlantic ◽

The Military

The debate over strategy, forces, and nuclear control, which now divides the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is framed largely in military terms: what is the best way to protect the NATO area and its members from aggression? The military aspects are complex in themselves, but the import of these issues extends far beyond defense. Their handling will greatly affect prospects for a partnership between the United States and a strong, united Europe

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300015952 ◽

1951 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 813-816

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

United Kingdom ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Armed Forces ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

Peace Treaty ◽

The North ◽

The North Atlantic ◽

Foreign Ministers ◽

Of Greece

On September 15, 1951 the seventh session of the North Atlantic Council met at Ottawa. At this meeting, members were represented by their foreign ministers, defense ministers, and economic or finance ministers. Press reports indicated that the “Big Three” (United Kingdom, France, United States) intended to press for: 1) creation of a unified European army to include German units of “division” strength; 2) addition of Greece and Turkey; 3) revision of the Italian peace treaty in order to release Italy from limitations on its armed forces; 4) negotiation of a settlement of the Italian-Yugoslav dispute over Trieste.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300022554 ◽

1955 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 184-186

Keyword(s):

North Africa ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Foreign Minister ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

Annual Review ◽

The North ◽

Percent Increase ◽

The North Atlantic ◽

The Military ◽

Of Greece

CouncilThe Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization met in regular ministerial session in Paris on December 17 and 18, 1954, under the chairmanship of Stephanos Stephanopoulos, Foreign Minister of Greece. One of the principal items considered by the Council was the annual review of the military position of NATO, which had been prepared by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR, Gruenther) and by the Military Committee at its meetings in Washington in November and in Paris immediately preceding the Council meeting. According to press reports, the review showed that defensive rearmament of NATO was virtually completed so far as conventional armaments were concerned. It was reported that SACEUR and the Military Committee recommended that only the air arm of NATO defenses be substantially augmented in 1955, and that even the increases recommended in this regard represented a realization in 1955 of the goals set for 1954 which had not been met. Ground forces in 1954 were said to have been reduced by the equivalent of two divisions by the reduction in periods of conscription in Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, the failure of Norway to increase its conscription period and the transfer of French units to north Africa; a reported two percent increase in NATO naval forces was recommended for 1955. Total defense expenditures of European NATO members in 1954 were reported to have fallen 2.4 percent below the 1953 level; the eleven European members were reported to have spent $10,865 million in 1954 as compared with $11,133 million in 1953.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300001260 ◽

1956 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 656-657

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

United Kingdom ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Armed Forces ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

The United States ◽

The West ◽

German Government ◽

The North ◽

The Press

Council It was reported in the press on July 20, 1956 that the west German government was preparing to bring its anxieties about United Kingdom and United States suggestions for a reduction in armed forces before the meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Council, but contrary to expectation, at the July 25 meeting of the Council no reference was made to the reduction of forces. The press did note on July 25 that the United States Secretary of State Dulles gave reassurances to the German ambassador that the United States contemplated no change from the existing number of troops at that time and was still in favor of a German contribution of twelve divisions to NATO. Press reports also noted that the west German government transmitted notes to the members of the Western European Union calling for a review of allied strategy and military planning in view of moves by the United States and United Kingdom to cut their armed forces.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300029994 ◽

1951 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 218-220

Keyword(s):

North Atlantic ◽

Western Europe ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

Working Relationships ◽

The North ◽

Strategic Direction ◽

Effective Training ◽

The North Atlantic ◽

The Military ◽

Supreme Commander

The final communiqué of the second annual meeting of the North Atlantic Council stated that the ministers had agreed upon the establishment at the earliest possible date of an integrated force under centralized command adequate to deter aggression and insure defense of western Europe. The integrated force was to be based on the following principles: a) the force was to be organized and subject to the political and strategic guidance of the appropriate agencies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; b) the force was to be under a supreme commander with sufficient delegated authority to ensure effective training of an integrated force by an international staff representing all the nations participating; c) the standing group of the military committee was to be responsible for higher strategic direction of the integrated force. The Defense Committee was requested to recommend the steps necessary to bring the force into being, the changes and simplifications necessary to ensure close working relationships between member governments, the character and composition of the forces to be allocated to the integrated force by the member governments, and the utilization of German manpower–on which subject the Council was agreed that Germany should be enabled to contribute to the buildup of the defense of western Europe.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300023638 ◽

1956 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 326-328

Keyword(s):

North Atlantic ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

Severe Winter ◽

The North ◽

Military Forces ◽

The Military ◽

Special Meeting

A special meeting of the Council of the North Adantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was held in Paris on February 24, 1956, to consider the situation created by the exceptionally severe winter experienced in many NATO countries. While noting with satisfaction the assistance already given by the military forces assigned to NATO in some afflicted areas, the Council noted also the danger of serious aggravation of the situation in the event of a sudden thaw. It was agreed to urge member governments to authorize their forces assigned to NATO to prepare urgently to deal with such an emergency, and NATO headquarters in Europe were instructed to assist and co-ordinate national efforts where required. It was also agreed to recommend that member governments give consideration to action that might be required if a shortage of food resulted from damage to agricultural land, and the Council decided to keep the situation under review.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300030290 ◽

1953 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 433-441

Keyword(s):

North Atlantic ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

The United States ◽

First Year ◽

Present System ◽

Assistance Program ◽

Air Power ◽

The North ◽

Weakest Link ◽

The Military

The second annual report of the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR, Ridgway), to the Standing Group of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the operations of Supreme Head-quarters, Allied Powers, Europe (SHAPE) during the period since May 1952, was released on May 30, 1953. In reviewing the changes which had been made in the period under consideration – the first year in which General Ridgway held the position of SACEUR – the report noted that “much has been done to increase our defense forces and to make them more effective” but “measured against the Soviet capacity, our progress is insufficient to give us acceptable prospect of success if attacked”. SACEUR observed that by the end of 1952, the numerical goals for NATO forces set at the Lisbon meeting of the Council had in large part been met, “although there was a substantial shortfall in planned combat effectiveness”. The outstanding deficiency of a year ago in tactical air forces had been improved both from deliveries under the United States military assistance program and from increased combat capability; nevertheless, the Supreme Commander still regarded air power as “the weakest link in our defense”. While the growth of land forces had been “encouraging” if not “satisfactory”, the same was not true of the arrangements for the supply and support of those forces. General Ridgway emphasized the complexity of the present system in which each nation was responsible for the support of its own troops; however, he felt that the situation could largely be remedied with the approval and implementation of plans submitted by SHAPE to the Standing Group in October 1952. Progress had been good, the report noted, in the infrastructure program.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818300016647 ◽

1952 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 326-330

Keyword(s):

North Atlantic ◽

North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽

German Federal Republic ◽

Contractual Arrangements ◽

The North ◽

Military Command ◽

Western Germany ◽

The North Atlantic ◽

The Military ◽

Of Greece

Meeting in Lisbon from February 20 to 25, 1952, and with Greece and Turkey participating as full members, the ninth session of the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization took decisions on five major items: 1) the forces to be made available to the military command during 1952; 2) the bases and facilities to be built and made available for the forces; 3) the establishment of a European Defense Community comprising six countries, including western Germany; 4) the report by the occupying powers on the proposed contractual arrangements with the German Federal Republic; 5) the reorganization and strengthening of NATO itself. In addition, the Council took note of the report by the Atlantic Community Committee on economic cooperation, agreed on the amount of the German financial contribution to defense for 1952–1953 and assigned the ground and air forces of Greece and Turkey to the over-all command of SHAPE.

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