US strategic interest includes Ukraine's acceptable ties with Russia

The need for acceptable ties with Russia serves the fundamental interests of both Ukraine and the United States, according to the National Interest magazine.

Ukraine has two broad strategic choices to reach a modus vivendi with Russia that satisfies both countries' essential interests; or to conclude a strategic alliance with another power that will allow it to defy its larger neighbour, according to the US media publication.

The United States is the only other power potentially capable of successfully supporting the second choice. That is the option Ukraine has been pursuing, with US encouragement.

Further, Ukraine would become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Alliance with the Membership Action Plan and US would be forced to come to Kiev's aid in an event of an armed conflict as a part of the Treaty obligations.

However, if the US had a strategic foreign policy framework, what would it look like and how would Ukraine fit into it? First, the creation of a more stable international system and that system is of greatest benefit to the entities at the top of the system. The United States currently occupies that position.

Second, to avoid a Chinese/Russian opposition alliance and those benefits to the United States of not having the other nuclear superpower and the other economic superpower allied against it seem glaringly obvious.

Third, reducing the risk of nuclear war which includes achieving that objective requires, among other things, avoiding an armed conflict with another nuclear power when its vital interests are involved and one's own are not writes Raymond F Smith for the National Interest.

Creating a more stable international system requires taking Russia's vital interests into account, as well as Ukraine's. Guiding, and helping, Ukraine toward balancing its desire for closer ties with Europe and its need for acceptable ties with Russia serves the fundamental interests of both Ukraine and the United States, according to National Interest.

Ukraine can help draw Russia into a more productive relationship with the West, lessen the temptation of a military alliance with China and decrease the threat of a conventional armed conflict that could escalate into a nuclear one writes Raymond F. Smith for the National Interest. (ANI)