Dynamics of the Ukrainian state-territory nexus

This paper addresses questions concerning the territorial sovereignty of present day Ukraine in light of established concepts in political geography, international relations, and international law. A template is derived from that literature to examine the particulars of the Ukrainian state extant insofar as its origins are concerned, especially as they relate to issues of the state and territory. An argument is made for the legitimacy of Ukraine as a bona fide entrant into the international system of states and, accordingly, its rights to territorial integrity. Finally, the challenges confronting Ukraine owing to its Soviet geographical heritage and ethnographic landscape are discussed, especially in light of its neighboring regional hegemon, Russia.