Poroshenko’s Presidency: Eastern Concerns, West-Bound Aspirations

On 4 June, Ukraine’s President-elect Petro Poroshenko paid an official visit to Poland, where he met U.S. President Barack Obama. On 6 June, Poroshenko will attend the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. These first foreign meetings of Ukraine’s new president highlight the foreign-policy priorities of his presidency. Relations with the U.S. and NATO will be strengthened following the breakdown of previous international security guarantees. While declining to accommodate Russia’s political demands, Poroshenko will still try to avoid severing economic and diplomatic ties. The prospective implementation of an Association Agreement with the EU will remain a middle-term priority.