Editing Ukraine (section)

=== Military ===
{{Main|Armed Forces of Ukraine}}
[[File:UA 25th brigade BMP-1TS 02.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|Ukrainian troops on the move during the [[2022 Ukrainian eastern counteroffensive]]]]
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a 780,000-man military force on its territory, equipped with the third-largest [[nuclear weapons and Ukraine|nuclear weapons arsenal]] in the world.<ref name="milgov"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Mary Louise |last2=Lonsdorf |first2=Kat |title=Why Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons – and what that means in an invasion by Russia |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/02/21/1082124528/ukraine-russia-putin-invasion |access-date=9 November 2022 |work=NPR.org |date=21 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref> In 1992, Ukraine signed the [[Lisbon Protocol]] in which the country agreed to give up all nuclear weapons to Russia for disposal and to join the [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]] as a non-nuclear weapon state. By 1996 the country had become free of nuclear weapons.<ref name="milgov">{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.gov.ua/index.php?lang=en&part=history&sub=history |title=The history of the Armed Forces of Ukraine |work=Ministry of Defence of Ukraine |access-date=5 July 2008 |publisher=[[Ministry of Defence of Ukraine]]}}</ref>

Ukraine took consistent steps toward reduction of conventional weapons. It signed the [[Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe]], which called for reduction of tanks, artillery, and armoured vehicles (army forces were reduced to 300,000). The country planned to convert the current [[conscript]]-based military into a professional [[volunteer military]].<ref name="wbook06">{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.gov.ua/files/white_book_eng2006.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071108143812/http://www.mil.gov.ua/files/white_book_eng2006.pdf |archive-date=8 November 2007 |title=White Book 2006 |access-date=24 December 2007 |publisher=Ministry of Defence of Ukraine}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=old|date=March 2022}} Ukraine's current military consist of 196,600 active personnel and around 900,000 reservists.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forces.net/news/numbers-how-does-ukraines-military-stack-against-russias |title=In numbers: How does Ukraine's military stack up against Russia? |first=Alex |last=Walters |website=Forces Network |date=24 February 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Ukrainian HIMARS in Zaporizhya oblast, early June 2022 (3).jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|American [[M142 HIMARS]] rocket launchers in Ukrainian service, an example of [[List of military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War|foreign military equipment received]] during the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]]]]

Ukraine played an increasing role in peacekeeping operations. In 2014, the Ukrainian frigate ''Hetman Sagaidachniy'' joined the European Union's counter piracy [[Operation Atalanta]] and was part of the EU Naval Force off the coast of [[Somalia]] for two months.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eunavfor.eu/ukrainian-navy-warship-hetman-sagaidachniy-joins-eu-naval-force-counter-piracy-operation-atalanta/ |title=Ukrainian Navy Warship Hetman Sagaidachniy Joins EU Naval Force Counter Piracy Operation Atalanta |publisher=Eunavfor.eu |date=6 January 2014 |access-date=26 January 2014 |archive-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228164241/https://eunavfor.eu/ukrainian-navy-warship-hetman-sagaidachniy-joins-eu-naval-force-counter-piracy-operation-atalanta/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> Ukrainian troops were deployed in [[Kosovo]] as part of the [[Polish-Ukrainian Peace Force Battalion|Ukrainian-Polish Battalion]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.gov.ua/index.php?lang=en&part=peacekeeping&sub=kfor_kosovo |title=Multinational Peacekeeping Forces in Kosovo, KFOR |work=Ministry of Defence of Ukraine |access-date=24 December 2007 }}</ref> In 2003–2005, a Ukrainian unit was deployed as part of the [[multinational force in Iraq]] under Polish command.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.gov.ua/index.php?part=peacekeeping&lang=en |title=Peacekeeping |work=Ministry of Defence of Ukraine |access-date=2 May 2008 }}</ref> Military units of other states participated in multinational military exercises with Ukrainian forces in Ukraine regularly, including [[U.S. military]] forces.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/news/politics/detail/67094 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522053812/http://www.kyivpost.com/news/politics/detail/67094 |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 May 2010 |title=Kyiv Post. Independence. Community. Trust – Politics – Parliament approves admission of military units of foreign states to Ukraine for exercises |date=22 May 2010}}</ref>

Following independence, Ukraine declared itself a neutral state.<ref name="gska2.rada.gov.ua" /> The country had a limited military partnership with Russian Federation and other CIS countries and has had a partnership with NATO since 1994. In the 2000s, the government was leaning towards NATO, and deeper cooperation with the alliance was set by the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan signed in 2002. It was later agreed that the question of joining NATO should be answered by a national referendum at some point in the future.<ref name="wbook06" /> Deposed President Viktor Yanukovych considered the then level of co-operation between Ukraine and NATO sufficient, and was against Ukraine joining NATO. During the [[2008 Bucharest summit]], NATO declared that Ukraine would eventually become a member of NATO when it meets the criteria for accession.

As part of modernisation after the beginning of the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]] in 2014, junior officers were allowed to take more initiative and a [[Territorial defence battalions (Ukraine)|territorial defence force]] of volunteers was established.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Liam |title=In 2014, the 'decrepit' Ukrainian army hit the refresh button. Eight years later, it's paying off |url=http://theconversation.com/in-2014-the-decrepit-ukrainian-army-hit-the-refresh-button-eight-years-later-its-paying-off-177881 |access-date=18 March 2022 |website=The Conversation |date=8 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Various defensive weapons including [[Unmanned combat aerial vehicle|drones]] were supplied by many countries, but not fighter jets.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Al Jazeera Staff |title=What's in the new US military aid package to Ukraine? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/17/whats-in-the-new-us-military-aid-package-to-ukraine |access-date=18 March 2022 |website=aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> During the first few weeks of the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion]] the military found it difficult to defend against shelling, missiles and high level bombing; but light infantry used shoulder-mounted weapons effectively to destroy tanks, armoured vehicles and low-flying aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 March 2022 |title=Is an outright Russian military victory in Ukraine possible? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/17/is-an-outright-russian-military-victory-in-ukraine-possible |access-date=18 March 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> In August 2023, the U.S. officials estimated that up to 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 100,000 to 120,000 wounded during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref>{{cite news |title=Troop Deaths and Injuries in Ukraine War Near 500,000, U.S. Officials Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/18/us/politics/ukraine-russia-war-casualties.html |work=The New York Times |date=18 August 2023}}</ref>