Loss of joint major weapons projects keenly felt by Russia, Ukraine

Special to WorldTribune.com

By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com

After the UK, France, the U.S. and other key NATO member states’ suspended all military cooperation with Russia, the Ukrainian government likewise announced it would terminate all joint weapons development projects with Moscow.

Ukraine Defense Industry booth at IDEX 2013.
Ukraine Defense Industry booth at IDEX 2013.

On the face of it, this would not seem to be a major development considering the impact of Russia’s action to the territorial integrity and political stability of Ukraine.

Psychologically and economically, however, this is a big deal to both Ukraine and Russia. The roots of military cooperation and arms transfer between Kiev and Moscow goes extraordinarily deep due to shared Soviet patterns and connections.

While Ukraine voluntarily gave up its nuclear stockpile in 1994, three years after its independence from Moscow’s orbit, Ukraine remains crucial to Russia in developing and manufacturing some key conventional weapons systems.

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