Ukraine Draws Up New Military Doctrine

Ukraine has finally drawn up a new military doctrine to be approved by Verkhovna Rada perhaps as early as at the end of this year, Minister of Defense Gen. Oleksandr Kuzmuk told journalists while visiting the Armored Troops Institute on the occasion of Day of the Tank Man. UNIAN reports that this country’s military chief pointed out, first, the defensive nature of the new doctrine. According to him, it has already been discussed and approved by a committee presided over by Prime Minister Anatoly Kinakh, while President Leonid Kuchma has “attentively scrutinized every line” of the document.

Chairman of Verkhovna Rada Ivan Pliushch, commenting on the defense minister’s opinion that the parliament could debate and approve the fundamental military document before the end of the year, said that “Ukraine’s new military doctrine envisions a still faster reform of the Armed Forces and will require considerable funds.” Simultaneously, Speaker Pliushch believes that “the issue is the reorganization of the army, not in the timing of adopting the new doctrine.” Noting that adequate and quality reform of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will depend completely on the condition and further development of Ukraine’s economy, he pointed out that the army is inadequately funded.

Meanwhile, Gen. Kuzmuk opined in Kharkiv that the European countries, in the course of the formation of continental armed forces, “could rely on the experience of Ukraine and Poland in forming joint units.” He cited the example of the Ukrainian-Polish battalion, adding that now “the idea is to form a joint brigade.” “We insist,” he continued, “that a Ukrainian general be on the European Union’s military committee.”