The International Position of the Ukrainian Central Rada and Its Policy toward the Entente

Abstract

The article examines the international position of the Ukrainian Central Rada and the specific features of its policy toward the Entente states in 1917–1918. It analyzes the diplomatic contacts of the UCR with France, Great Britain, the United States, and other Allied powers, as well as the Entente’s response to Ukrainian state-building amid the First World War and the revolutionary events in the former Russian Empire. Particular attention is paid to the factors influencing the formation of foreign policy decisions both by the Ukrainian government and by the Entente states.

The novelty of the study lies in a comprehensive analysis of the interconnection between internal political processes in the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Entente’s position on the Ukrainian question, as well as in identifying key diplomatic mechanisms that shaped the nature of these relations. The research highlights the contradictions between the declarative support for the principle of national self-determination and the actual geopolitical interests of the Allied powers.

The methodological framework is based on the principles of historicism, systematization, and objectivity, as well as comparative analysis, historical-genetic, and problem-chronological approaches. The study draws on diplomatic documents, correspondence, and memoir sources, which made it possible to reconstruct a coherent picture of the UCR’s international relations.

The findings show that the Entente’s policy toward the Ukrainian People's Republic was primarily determined by military-strategic interests and the aim of maintaining a unified Eastern Front against the Central Powers, which resulted in a limited and inconsistent attitude toward Ukrainian statehood. In turn, despite active efforts, the diplomatic initiatives of the Central Rada failed to secure international recognition due to the absence of a coherent foreign policy strategy and an unfavorable international environment.