Yuri Shcherbak--former Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S.--is a writer and physician who came to international prominence with his exposé on Chornobyl, as a founder of the Ukrainian Green Party, as Ukraine's first minister of environmental protection, and as its first ambassador to Israel. The Strategic Role of Ukraine assesses the period during which Ukraine rose to become an important part of the European geo-strategic posture. The collection treats Ukraine's relations with the United States, other nations in the region, and Israel; the Chornobyl aftermath; the status of Sevastopol; NATO enlargement; and the question of Ukrainian-Jewish relations. It includes a chronology of Ukraine-U.S. relations (1989-1997) and the text of the NATO-Ukraine Charter. Specialists and students alike will appreciate this comprehensive and focused overview of contemporary Ukraine.

Dr. Yuri Shcherbak is Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. and Mexico.