Ukraine and the United States

Independence and Nuclear Assurances

The United States recognized Ukraine’s independence on 25 December 1991, as the Soviet Union dissolved. George H. W. Bush’s announcement separated that decision from the next step: establishing diplomatic relations. Ukrainian official accounts date the latter to 3 January 1992, although the American historical country guide assigns both acts to 25 December. The American embassy opened in Kyiv on 23 January 1992 under chargé d’affaires Jon Gundersen. [1] [2] [3]

Nuclear disarmament soon became central to the relationship. The Budapest Memorandum of 5 December 1994 linked security assurances to Ukraine’s accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a state without nuclear weapons. The United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom reaffirmed respect for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and existing borders, and undertakings against force and economic coercion. The text also provided for consultations and a commitment to seek Security Council action in the event of nuclear aggression. Its stated mechanisms did not include an automatic promise of American military intervention. [4]

Political Change and Russia’s War

Ukraine’s political direction became a recurring concern for American diplomacy. The Orange Revolution of 2004 challenged electoral fraud; the protests of 2013–2014 began over the government’s retreat from an agreement with the European Union and widened after violent repression. Russia’s seizure of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine in 2014 then transformed the security relationship. Washington supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity, imposed sanctions on Russia, and expanded assistance, while also pressing for reforms to strengthen governance and reduce corruption. [6]

Russia’s invasion in 2022 disrupted the American embassy’s physical operations while the bilateral relationship continued. The State Department first relocated operations from Kyiv to Lviv, then moved personnel to Poland. Its inspector general distinguishes the 14 February evacuation of the Kyiv facilities from the formal suspension of embassy operations on 28 February. Some personnel returned and resumed limited operations in May, after Russian ground forces withdrew from the area around the capital. [5]

Long Term Support and Its Terms

In June 2024, Biden and Zelensky signed a security agreement designed to last ten years, with provisions for termination. It envisaged training, equipment, defence production, intelligence cooperation, and support for economic recovery and institutional reform. If Ukraine faced a further attack or threat, the governments would meet promptly to determine possible responses. Implementation remained subject to domestic law and available funding. [7]