The Eagle and the Trident: U.S.-Ukraine Relations in Turbulent Times - Hardcover

Steven Pifer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0815730403 ISBN 13: 9780815730408

Publisher: Brookings Institution, 2017

Synopsis

The Eagle and the Trident provides the first detailed account of U.S. diplomacy toward independent Ukraine, covering the formative dozen years following the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991. Steven Pifer, a career Foreign Service officer who, during that period, worked on U.S. Ukraine relations at the State Department and the White House and as ambassador to Ukraine, has written an insider's narrative of the ups and downs in the relationship between Washington and newly independent Ukraine. During the period covered by the book, the United States generally succeeded in its major foreign policy goals in Ukraine, notably the safe transfer of nearly 2,000 strategic nuclear weapons left there after the Soviet collapse. Washington also provided support for Ukraine's effort to develop into a modern, democratic, market-oriented state. These latter efforts were only modestly successful, however, with the result that Ukraine was less able than it could have been to stand up to Russian aggression in the Crimea in 2014. The author reflects on what worked and what did not work in the various U.S. approaches toward Ukraine. He also offers a practitioner's recommendations for current U.S. policies in the context of ongoing uncertainty about the political stability of Ukraine and Russia's long-term intentions toward its smaller but important neighbor.

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Review:

I am very much impressed by the political insights and broad historical perspective of The Eagle and the Trident. It should be an essential item in anyone's operational library, given the high probability that Ukraine will continue to be an important issue for the United States, for East-West relations, and as a critical test of Russia's ability to be a genuine European state.-Zbigniew Brzezinski, Counselor and Trustee, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and former U.S. National Security Adviser Ambassador Steven Pifer draws on a wealth of diplomatic experience to offer the most comprehensive first-hand account of the high and low points of US-Ukrainian relations. Written in lucid prose and a highly engaging style, this book is mandatory reading for college courses dealing with Russian Foreign Policy, European Security or Post-Communist Politics.-Dr. Serhiy Kudelia, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Baylor University In this persuasive account of a quarter-century of relations between Washington and Kyiv, Steven Pifer explains the important stakes for the United States in Ukraine. Drawing on his extensive experience of government service-including as ambassador to Ukraine-he chronicles the successes and failures of U.S. policy in supporting Ukraine in its two major challenges: implementing economic and legal reforms and dealing with Russia. This is essential reading for understanding the past, present, and future of U.S.-Ukraine relations.-Angela Stent Director, Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies; Professor of Government and Foreign Service, Georgetown University; and former U.S. National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia Ambassador Pifer has long been respected as a diplomat, policymaker, and commentator on the high-stakes challenges of our time. In The Eagle and the Trident, he has achieved a trifecta: an engaging memoir of his role in the painful rebirth of a long-oppressed nation; a must-read for historians and students of the post-Cold War period; and a highly relevant guide to the ongoing crisis among Ukraine, Russia, and the West.-Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution, and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State How did Ukraine get into its current situation? Steven Pifer, in this remarkably well-documented book, shows us. From the euphoria of independence in 1991, to the elimination of nuclear weapons and working through a sea of corruption and venal politicians, here is the history of U.S. engagement with post-Soviet Ukraine, including what did not work. As Pifer demonstrates, there is more than enough blame to go around. The U.S. and EU do not escape unscathed. We need to rethink our approach to enforce reforms that will benefit the citizens of Ukraine.-Richard Armitage, Trustee, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State

About the Author:

Steven Pifer is a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, where he specializes in Ukraine, Russia, and arms control. A retired career Foreign Service officer, he served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 1998 to 2000.

About this edition

• Publisher: Brookings Institution
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0815730403
• ISBN 13: 9780815730408
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 366