Unfortunately, Ukraine's ambitions to return to Europe look to be thwarted by the slow progress domestically on economic reform and institution building, without which any future membership in NATO or the EU will be impossible. Relations nevertheless will continue to be close between Ukraine and NATO, while remaining temperate with the EU. Ukraine and Hungary were the first countries to establish missions at NATO, reflecting the importance Kyiv attaches to NATO as a security insurance policy vis-agrave;-vis a post-Yeltsin Russia (something reflected in the NATO-Ukraine Charter signed in July 1997). In addition, the United States, the dominant country within NATO, is convinced of the strategic importance of Ukraine to its own and European security, as well as to the continued democratic transformation of Russia. NATO expansion therefore is not regarded in a negative light by the Ukrainian policy-making elites.
Relations with the European Union are more lukewarm because Ukraine is defined as Eurasian in light of its participation within the CIS, an ambivalent geographic position that it occupies with Turkey, which has sought to enter the EU since 1958. Ukraine is not one of the 10 countries with whom the EU is currently considering negotiating future membership. Associate membership and the creation of a free-trade regime between Ukraine and the EU is all that is currently on offer.
A strategical choice of Ukraine is a course on the European Union and entering to the World Trading Organization. Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine Vasyl Rohovy reported it at "TV News Service" program at "1+1" channel, answering to the question what has a priority meaning for Ukraine – the European Union and the World trading Organization or European and Asian Economic Community. (On June 25 President of Russia Vladimir Putin called Ukraine to join to European and Asian Economic Community – UNIAN).
V.Rohovy pointed out that the real priority for Ukraine has been already determined in the Address of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma to the Supreme Rada, in several resolutions of the Ukrainian President, which the government fulfills. That is why, according to his words, the discussion about what is the priority for Ukraine has a political meaning. He pointed out that it is very good that Ukraine is invited to be the member of the European and Asian Economic Community, but another thing is the assessment of the European and Asian Economic Community, made by Ukraine. On V.Rohovy's mind, Ukraine must consider the entering to the European and Asian Economic Community from the point of view of the short-term and long-term strategical interests. He assumed that from the point of view of the short-term perspectives Ukraine would have some benefits from entering to the European and Asian Economic Community. But, according to the words of V.Rohovy, if to consider it from the point of view of the strategical interests of Ukraine, the course of it on the European Union and the World Trading Organization is of a priority meaning.