Diplomatic Strategy of the Ukrainian Central Rada: Between Autonomy and Independence

Abstract

The article examines the diplomatic strategy of the Ukrainian Central Rada in the context of the transformative processes of 1917–1918, when the Ukrainian political establishment found itself between two conceptual orientations – autonomy within a federative Russia and full state independence. The study analyzes the evolution of the Central Rada’s foreign policy course from its initial autonomist declarations to the proclamation of independence of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

The research methodology is based on a combination of historical-comparative, problem-chronological, and systemic approaches. Source analysis (including the Universals of the Ukrainian Central Rada, diplomatic correspondence, and international agreements) is employed to trace the logic behind foreign policy decision-making. Elements of content analysis are also applied to identify key ideas in the political documents and discourses of the period.

As a result, it has been established that the diplomatic strategy of the Central Rada was flexible and largely reactive, dependent both on the domestic political situation and on changes in the international environment. The transition from an autonomist model to one of independence was driven not only by ideological convictions but also by the pragmatic necessity of preserving statehood under conditions of military and political pressure. It is demonstrated that the diplomatic activity of the Central Rada became an important stage in the formation of Ukraine’s foreign policy tradition and laid the foundations for the further development of Ukraine’s international relations.

Further research may focus on a deeper analysis of the personal contributions of individual figures of the Ukrainian Central Rada to the formation of its diplomatic course, as well as on a comparative study of the foreign policy strategies of other national movements in Central and Eastern Europe during this period.