DOES UKRAINE NEED A WEAPONS POLICY?

Abstract

The Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the main factors that draws the attention of the general population, experts, and scientists to the issues of small arms and light weapons trafficking (arms trafficking) and related problems. Despite the fact that the issue of arms trafficking affects many aspects of the social and political life of the state, a relatively narrow, law enforcement-based view of how and on what principles it should function dominates in Ukraine. Instead, arms trafficking is a multifaceted, complex phenomenon, its regulation should be based on a deep understanding of its essence. A broad understanding of arms trafficking indicates the need for comprehensive, mutually agreed, and coordinated activities of authorities for its proper regulation and overcoming the relevant challenges. The purpose of the research is to find out the existence of a single comprehensive state weapons policy and a policy to counteract not allowed and disapproved arms trafficking in Ukraine. To achieve this goal, the following methodology was used: an analysis of public statements of state authorities, reports, and other information from open sources, both state and non-state, as well as current regulations. The scientific novelty. Based on the conducted analysis, the authors proved for the first time that Ukraine lacks a unified and comprehensive state weapons policy. It has also been established that the formation of such a state policy is hindered by a relatively narrow view of arms trafficking as a phenomenon. The authors propose to use new concepts – «not allowed» and «disapproved» arms trafficking in Ukraine – to describe its essential characteristics more accurately. In addition, for the first time, the work offers practical measures aimed at the formation of a general weapons policy and counteracting not allowed and disapproved trafficking in particular. Conclusions. Issues related to weapons concern a significant number of spheres of social and political life of the state and require a transition from a narrow, purely law enforcement-based approach to a comprehensive, broad, and multidimensional one. We believe that a number of central executive authorities should be involved in the development and implementation of state weapons policy by their competence. As of now, the state does not have a unified and comprehensive weapons policy in general and countering disapproved arms trafficking as its sub-sphere. That is why the article provides generalized recommendations on how to determine the expediency of its formation, what should be the activity of the central executive authorities regarding the preparation of a conceptual document on such a policy, its discussion, and further development of the relevant legal act.