from http://www.ndu.edu/inss/strforum/SF_69/forum69.html
Recommendations
Western policymakers need to focus on Ukraine as a potential solution to a security dilemma. Unfortunately, Ukraine has too often been viewed as a fragile state, subject to internal collapse, Russian control, and ill-fitted, due to history and geography, to be a true European partner. Such thinking leaves Ukraine to an Eastern bloc orientation and the question then becomes to what degree and in what timeframe. This would not serve the West's, nor Russia's, and definitely not Ukraine's interests. The challenge for the West is to help Ukraine become a viable and stable regional state, which includes economic and political support and rapid extension of links with the West. It entails helping Ukraine get its bearings and strength for the eventual role that Kiev, irrespective of its desires, seems predestined to carry out.
* As the process of NATO enlargement proceeds, NATO needs to be aware of the impact this will have on Ukraine's security as well as Europe's overall stability. The West should undertake a concerted effort to support and strengthen Ukraine and gear NATO enlargement to Ukraine's own domestic and external abilities to maintain its security.
* Ukraine has the ability to play a bridging role between NATO and Russia and more effort should be put into developing this aspect, including possibly formalizing Ukraine's stated non-bloc status in order to heighten its credibility as a bridge and as a regional stabilizing force.
* None of these efforts should be regarded as ends in themselves, but rather as building blocks to pan-European cooperation and integration.