Development and Problematic Issues of Ukraine's Partnership with the Neighbouring EU Member States

Abstract

The paper highlights development and some problematic issues of Ukraine's relations with the neighbouring European Union Member States - the Republic of Poland, Hungary, Romania and the Slovak Republic, that have been escalated and exploited from time to time by the Russian Federation. This situation poses a potential threat to Ukraine and international security in the Carpathian region and needs to be resolved as soon as possible. This also emphasizes the aggravation of Ukrainian-Hungarian relations after a conservative and essentially authoritarian government, headed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, had come into power in 2010. A perceptible increase in tension between the parties is related to Ukraine's 2017 Education Act and the situation of the Hungarian national minority in Transcarpathia. Additionally, the paper focuses on Ukrainian-Polish contradictions in issues of historical memory and problems of Ukrainian migrants in Poland, Ukrainian-Romanian territorial disputes and some problems of Ukrainian-Slovak relations, in particular regarding the "Rusyns question" and so on. The author stresses that Ukraine belongs geographically and politically to Central Europe, therefore the states of this region are its most obvious friends and partners, and the task of governmental, regional and public institutions, international organisations and regional groupings is to overcome existing conflict situations and problems in mutual relations by joint active and consistent efforts. The factor of European integration, economic cooperation and interdependence of neighbouring countries, security challenges in Europe from Russia's aggression and the latest threats in contemporary international relations are strong levers for this, as well as for deepening interstate partnership and neighbourly, mutually beneficial cooperation between peoples of the Carpathian region