Third-Party Considerations in U.S. Bilateral Relations: Four Case Studies Examining the Presence of the Moscow Factor in U.S. Policy Toward Sovereign Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of this instrumental multicase study, which relies on the structured, focused comparison method, is to explore whether, how, with what impact, and under what circumstances Washington’s Moscow-related considerations have factored in policy toward sovereign Ukraine. It does so by examining four key Ukraine-related policy decision points across the George H. W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama Administrations. This study relies on data generated by a review of documentary evidence, supplemented by practitioner interviews. It fills a gap in existing scholarship, which has tended to focus on bilateral dynamics without a more rigorous exploration of the key questions posed.