The NATO 2030 Report. Strategic Priorities of the Alliance

According to the NATO 2030 report the Alliance will have to adapt to a more complex strategic environment over the next decade. In this study, we address the major strategic priorities of the report, and its recommendations for the Alliance’s partnerships. NATO’s partnership initiatives (Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, Partners Across the Globe) are key tools for building cooperative security and cooperation with partners. It provides a good opportunity to review the Alliance’s ability of continuous innovation and its adaptation to a changing world.

Poland’s Accession to NATO Considering “Partnership for Peace” and the U.S. Perspective

The accession of Poland to the group of NATO member states was undoubtedly one of the milestones in the modern history of the country and in the direction of strengthening security in the international arena. The whole process was conditioned by various types of determinants: technological, organizational, political and ideological (Kupiecki, 2016). Many publications have been dedicated to Poland's accession to NATO and its later role among the allied members. Nevertheless, there is a lack of particular studies in the professional literature that presents a detailed chronology of Polish pre-accession activities and the diverse opinions of the US administration regarding the enlargement of NATO with new member states recruiting from the former Warsaw Pact. This gap in available literature was a trigger for writing this article with the purpose to present the undertakings of Poland aimed at accession to NATO in the aspect of “Partnership for Peace” and the US point of view. In the research process, two basic methods were employed: analysis and synthesis. The method of analysis was used in relation to the verification of collected literature, normative acts and documents on international security. The method of synthesis was applied for conclusions. The undertaken research on the topic proved that without consistent actions and initiatives conducted by Poland in the international area and without the support of the US, joining NATO would be highly difficult or even impossible. At the same time, a detailed analysis highlighted that the accession of Poland to NATO was and still is mutually and beneficial for Warsaw and Washington.

E-commerce and Digital Connectivity: Unleashing the Potential for Greater India–ASEAN Integration

Digital connectivity and e-commerce are emerging as important drivers to connect small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries to their domestic and global markets. India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have emerged as fastest growing e-commerce and digital markets. Studies show that digital connectivity and e-commerce will help SMEs and marginalised groups in the two economies to diversify their client base at lower costs, while consumers will have access to a wide range of products. To support digitalisation and e-commerce, several initiatives have been taken by the governments in India and ASEAN. Many of them are related to enhancing cross-country trade and collaboration. The ASEAN–India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity 2016–2020 is one such initiative. However, SMEs so far have not gained much from such initiatives. This article provides an overview of the current status of digtalisation and e-commerce in India and ASEAN. It examines their comparative positions in terms of technology adaptation and policy regimes and then presents the participation of these countries in bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral agreements and forums. Apart from infrastructure issues, restrictive regulations like data localisation requirements and lack of standards along with the defensive position of countries in international forums is adversely impacting the ability of their SMEs to scale up. The article provides recommendations on use of technology to help SMEs to scale up through a joint innovative knowledge sharing and e-commerce platform.

PARTICIPATION OF SERVICEMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE IN INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING AND SECURITY OPERATIONS (1992-2018)

The paper retrospectively covers the peacekeeping activities of the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the independence of Ukraine. The Ukrainian military's peacekeeping activities were authorized by the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine "Pro uchast batalionu Zbroinykh Syl Ukrainy v Myrotvorchykh Sylakh Orhanizatsii Obiednanykh Natsii u zonakh konfliktiv na terytorii kolyshnoi Yuhoslavii" (1992). The author focused on the characteristics of peacekeeping activities of the Ukrainian military in the countries of the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eastern Slavonia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia), on the African continent (Angola, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire), countries of the Middle East (Lebanon, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Iraq) and others. It is noted that servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) during peacekeeping operations mostly patrol areas of responsibility, engaged in the transportation of United Nations personnel, escort humanitarian cargos, control the ceasefire, and withdrawal of troops. International peacekeeping operations vary in duration (from several months to several years), funding, and the number of personnel involved. Usually, the results of Ukrainian peacekeepers were highly praised by the leadership of international security organizations. Participation of Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) programs, Partnership for Peace, international peacekeeping activities under the auspices of the United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) brings our country closer to NATO membership, contributes to strengthening its international prestige. Keywords: armed forces, NATO, peacekeeping operations, UN, Ukrainian contingent.

MILITARY-POLITICAL COOPERATION BETWEEN UKRAINE AND NATO: FEATURES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COOPERATION PROGRAMS (THE END OF THE 20TH – THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY)

The article shows the course of Ukraine's military-political cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) during the 2000s. Cooperation with NATO, which was developed within the Partnership for Peace program, was part of a set of European integration measures of our country and was made to increase the interoperability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFO) with NATO units. Military-political cooperation was the priority area of​​cooperation. Cooperation with NATO has positively impacted the reform and further development of the Armed Forces, security tasks compliance. The author retrospectively analyzes the characteristics of the Ukrainian state's cooperation with NATO through the prism of bilateral relations' regulatory framework. Given the geopolitical challenges facing Ukraine in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the emphasis is placed on the North Atlantic Alliance's importance. Bilateral relations have reached a qualitatively new level after the signing of the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between Ukraine and NATO (1997), which intensified contacts between representatives of the Alliance and Ukraine's central authorities. The priorities of the State Program of Reform and Development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the period up to 2005, the State Program of Cooperation of Ukraine with NATO for the period up to 2001, the State Program of Cooperation of Ukraine with NATO for 2001-2004, the Concept of Military-Technical Cooperation of Ukraine foreign states for the period up to 2010 and other significant documents concerning bilateral relations were determined. The study stressed the futility of the multi-vector policy and the need to deepen contacts with NATO in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Keywords: NATO, Armed Forces, army, European integration.

Retirement Day

The chapter is set at Fort Myer, Virginia, on September 30, 1997, the day General John Shalikashvili retired from the US military. The chapter overviews the retirement ceremony from Shalikashvili’s perspective as he reviews the honor guard with President William J. Clinton and Secretary of Defense William Cohen and thinks back to that night when he first laid eyes on US soldiers in Pappenheim and the role that luck has played in his attaining the American dream. The chapter also thumbnails his accomplishments as chairman: (1) confronting historic change, especially by realizing Partnership for Peace and NATO expansion, (2) was more supportive of non-traditional military missions (military operations other than war, MOOTW), (3) prepared the US military for the challenges of the twenty-first century, particularly by downsizing the military yet upgrading their capability and readiness, including by emphasizing joint education, joint planning, and joint training, and (4) rebalanced civil-military relations. The chapter ends with Shalikashvili’s closing remarks, emphasizing his love for soldiers and their families.