Ukraine has formal relations with many nations and in recent decades has been establishing diplomatic relations with an expanding circle of nations. The foreign relations of Ukraine are guided by a number of key priorities outlined in the foreign policy of Ukraine.

Western relations Ukraine considers Euro-Atlantic integration its primary foreign policy objective, but in practice balances its relationship with Europe and the United States while attempting to sever its considerable ties to Russia. The European Union's Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Ukraine went into force on March 1, 1998. The European Union (EU) has encouraged Ukraine to implement the PCA fully before discussions begin on an association agreement. The EU Common Strategy toward Ukraine, issued at the EU Summit in December 1999 in Helsinki, recognizes Ukraine's long-term aspirations but does not discuss association.Ukraine makes it official: Nation will abandon plans to join NATO, Kyiv Post (May 28, 2010)

On January 31, 1992, Ukraine joined the then-Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (now the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe—OSCE), and on March 10, 1992, it became a member of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Ukraine also has a close relationship with NATO and has declared interest in eventual membership. It is the most active member of the Partnership for Peace (PfP). Former President Viktor Yushchenko indicated that he supports Ukraine joining the EU in the future. Plans for Ukrainian membership to NATO were shelved by Ukraine following the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election in which Viktor Yanukovych was elected President.

Yanukovych opted to keep Ukraine a non-aligned state.Yanukovych opens door to Russian navy keeping base in Ukraine GlobalSecurity.org Retrieved on March 9, 2010 This materialized on June 3, 2010, when the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) excluded, with 226 votes, the goal of "integration into Euro-Atlantic security and NATO membership" from the country's national security strategy giving the country a non-aligned status.Ukraine has no alternative to Euro-Atlantic integration – Ukraine has no alternative to Euro-Atlantic integration – Poroshenko, Interfax-Ukraine (23 December 2014)Ukraine abolishes its non-aligned status – law, Interfax-Ukraine (23 December 2014)Ukraine's complicated path to NATO membership, Euronews (23 December 2014)Ukraine Takes Step Toward Joining NATO, The New York Times (23 December 2014)Ukraine Ends ‘Nonaligned’ Status, Earning Quick Rebuke From Russia, The Wall Street journal (23 December 2014)Ukraine drops NATO membership bid, EUobserver (June 6, 2010) "European integration" has remained part of Ukraine's national security strategy and co-operation with NATO was not excluded.

Ukraine then considered relations with NATO as a partnership.Yanukovych: Ukraine currently not ready to join NATO, Kyiv Post (May 27, 2010)Yanukovych: Ukraine positively evaluates level of relations with NATO, Kyiv Post (September 21, 2011) Ukraine and NATO continued to hold joint seminars and joint tactical and strategical exercises.Ukraine, NATO to hold security exercises during Euro 2012, Kyiv Post (26 March 2012)Yanukovych approves program of Ukraine–NATO cooperation for 2012, Kyiv Post (20 April 2012) After February 2014's Yanukovych ouster and the Russian annexation of Crimea, the nation has renewed its drive for NATO membership. On 23 December 2014 the Verkhovna Rada abolished, with 303 votes, Ukraine's non-aligned status.

On July 30, 2014, the US Senate passed a bill that gives Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova the status of non–NATO allies. Now, in the event of direct military aggression against these countries, the United States can bring its troops into these countries to protect them from external aggression.

Bilateral security agreements

In early 2024, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, several allies of Ukraine signed long-term bilateral security treaties with Ukraine for many years to come (often a period of 10 years). They resulted from a declaration by the G7 countries at a NATO Summit in Washington on 12 July 2023, concluding the establishment of a framework of bilateral security agreements of long-term military, materiel and economic support for Ukraine's defence. The bilateral agreements prioritised strengthening Ukrainian air defence systems, artillery, long-range strike capabilities, armour, and combat aviation to fend off Russian military aggression. By 1 March 2024, 32 countries, as well as the European Union, had signed long-term bilateral security treaties with Ukraine. 12 January 2024: The United Kingdom signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 16 February 2024: France and Germany signed 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreements with Ukraine. 23 February 2024: Denmark signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 24 February 2024: Canada and Italy signed 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreements with Ukraine. 1 March 2024: The Netherlands signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 3 April 2024: Finland signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 11 April 2024: Latvia signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement with Ukraine.Ukraine and Latvia sign security agreement, Zelenskiy says 27 May 2024: Spain signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 28 May 2024: Belgium and Portugal signed 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreements with Ukraine. 31 May 2024: Sweden, Norway and Iceland signed 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreements with Ukraine. 13 June 2024: The United States and Japan signed 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreements with Ukraine. 27 June 2024: Estonia, Lithuania and the European Union signed 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreements with Ukraine. 8 July 2024: Poland signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 10 July 2024: Luxembourg signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 11 July 2024: Romania signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 18 July 2024: Czech Republic and Slovenia signed 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreements with Ukraine. 4 September 2024: Ireland signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 9 October 2024: Croatia signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 17 October 2024: Greece signed a 10-year bilateral security and defense cooperation agreement with Ukraine, on the sidelines of the European Council in Brussels. 16 January 2025: The United Kingdom signed a 100-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 21 January 2025: Albania signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 15 May 2025: Montenegro signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 27 March 2026: Saudi Arabia signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 28 March 2026: Qatar signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. 30 March 2026: Bulgaria signed a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine.

Similar agreements and negotiations In March 2024, South Korea and Ukraine began negotiating long-term bilateral security agreements, later that year signing "a five-year framework agreement for USD 2.1 billion to support Ukraine's reconstruction projects".

On 2 May 2025, Ukraine and the Republic of Korea signed an additional memorandum on deeper economic cooperation. In September 2025, Slovakia and Ukraine began talks on a bilateral security agreement.

In May and November 2024, the European Union signed "security and defence partnerships" with six countries, three of which (with Norway, Albania, and North Macedonia), contained an explicit agreement on "(continued long-term) support for Ukraine". The EU–Moldova Security and Defence Partnership of 21 May 2024 does not contain such a stipulation, but it does start by stating that both the EU and Moldova "face an increasingly challenging security environment inter alia due to ongoing Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine."

While Moldova and Ukraine do not have a formal bilateral security agreement (as of January 2026), the two countries have been closely cooperating in their efforts to accede to the European Union, to fend off hybrid Russian threats, or pro-Russian threats from the breakaway region of Transnistria. Increasingly, these take the format of trilateral cooperation between Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania, with the latter serving as a "bridge" to EU (and NATO) membership for the former two. By June 2025, when the three countries announced a "permanent coordination mechanism between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs", the trilateral framework (officially named the Odesa Triangle since August 2025) on issues such as energy and transport infrastructure projects, business, border customs, combating Russian disinformation, and strengthening sanctions against Russia, was described by GMFUS as a "mini-alliance of political and economic cooperation", although agreements on security issues had remained informal so far.

As of 28 March 2026, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were negotiating a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine was negotiating long-term security agreements with Jordan and Kuwait, and had fielded "requests from Bahrain and Oman."

Relations with CIS states Ukraine's relations with Russia had been complicated by energy dependence and by payment arrears. However, relations improved with the 1998 ratification of the bilateral Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. The two sides have signed a series of agreements on the final division and disposition of the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet that helped to reduce tensions. However, Ukraine cut diplomatic relations with Russia as a response to the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Ukraine became a (non-official) member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on December 8, 1991. In January 1993 it refused to endorse a draft charter strengthening political, economic, and defense ties among CIS members, and completely ceased to participate as a member in March 2014. Ukraine was a founding member of GUAM (Georgia-Ukraine-Azerbaijan-Moldova).

In 1999–2001, Ukraine served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Soviet Ukraine joined the United Nations in 1945 as one of the original members following a Western compromise with the Soviet Union, which had asked for seats for all 15 of its union republics. Ukraine has consistently supported peaceful, negotiated settlements to disputes. It has participated in the quadripartite talks on the conflict in Moldova and promoted a peaceful resolution to conflict in the post-Soviet state of Georgia.

Leonid Derkach (chairman of the SBU, which is Ukraine's security service, successor to the KGB) was fired due to Western pressure after he organized the sale of radar systems to Iraq while such sales were embargoed.

International disputes

Belarus

The 1997 boundary treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due to unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing border security.

Russia