• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
Keystone in the Arch: Ukraine in the Emerging Security Environment of Central and Eastern Europe
Book

Keystone in the Arch: Ukraine in the Emerging Security Environment of Central and Eastern Europe

The appearance of an independent Ukraine is one of the most dramatic aspects of the new political geography of Europe. This book examines the importance of an independent and stable Ukraine for the future stability of Europe.

Link Copied
By Sherman W. Garnett
Published on Mar 1, 1997

Source: Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1997

The appearance of an independent Ukraine is one of the most dramatic aspects of the new political geography of Europe. This book examines the importance of an independent and stable Ukraine for the future stability of Europe. It analyzes ongoing Ukrainian attempts to construct a coherent state and the implications of those efforts for wider regional stability. It explores the dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine relationship; the rise of new security ties and frictions between Ukraine and its neighbors; and the role of the West in Ukrainian independence and stability. Special attention is given to the security implications of Ukraine's internal ethnic and regional divisions, the Black Sea Fleet, and NATO expansion.

Advance Praise

"Precious few books or articles do justice to both the core challenges facing Ukrainian foreign policy and the reasons Ukraine's success or failure in meeting them matters to the rest of Europe. Garnett's book does."
-Foreign Affairs

"A timely and incisive book on an issue of vital importance to Europe's stability?by a creative yet realistic geopolitical analyst."
-Zbigniew Brzezinski, Center for Strategic and International Studies

"Rigorously argued and elegantly written, Keystone in the Arch is a refreshingly no-nonsense analysis that will appeal to specialists and non-specialists alike. Sherman Garnett has produced an indispensable guide to Ukraine's security landscape."
-Alexander J. Motyl, The Harriman Institute, Columbia University

"This is the first comprehensive study of the crucial role of an independent Ukraine in establishing lasting security in Central and Eastern Europe. Garnett's expert analysis of the complex Russia-Ukraine relationship is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the deeper issues involved in current debates about NATO enlargement and Russia's place in the post-Soviet world."
-Roman Szporluk, Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University

About the Author

Sherman W. Garnett

Sherman W. Garnett
Eastern EuropeUkraine

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, speaks during a campaign rally of the governing Fidesz Party in Pecel, Hungary, on March 28. The rally is part of the Prime Minister's nationwide campaign trail before the Hungarian General Election scheduled for April 12.
    Paper
    Orbán, Fidesz, and Hungary’s Populist Foreign Policy

    Hungary under Viktor Orbán deployed right-wing populism as a foreign policy strategy, embedding the country in a web of illiberal transnational networks whose legacy will endure even after his April 2026 electoral defeat.

      Zsuzsanna Végh

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Is Belarus Really Set to Return to the Ukraine War?

    By reminding the world that Lukashenko is a threat to NATO and Ukraine, Kyiv is trying to return the focus to why the Belarusian regime needs to be contained rather than rewarded.

      Artyom Shraibman

  • Photo of a person's hands holding a Hungarian voting card with a Hungarian flag tablecloth in the background.
    Article
    Civic Mobilization to Defend Electoral Integrity in Hungary

    An innovative grassroots civic initiative helped defend the integrity of Hungary’s recent elections, with significant impact on the results and positive lessons for other contexts of democratic backsliding.

      • Photo of Hanna Folsz.

      Hanna Folsz

  • Europe flags citizens demonstration
    Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    EU Enlargement Forgets Europeans

    Preparing candidate countries for EU membership is no longer enough. As the enlargement process becomes a reality, the union must also prepare its own societies.

      Iliriana Gjoni

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    As Trump Threatens to Quit NATO, the Baltic States Are Playing for Time

    Governments in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania want to ensure that a U.S. military withdrawal would not leave them dangerously exposed to a Russian attack.

      Sergejs Potapkins

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.