NATO's support for Senior Military Education in Ukraine was initiated on 28 January 2000, when Mr. Kuzmuk, the Ukrainian Defence Minister, met the then NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, and they agreed to run an international course at the (at that time) Ukrainian National Defence Academy in Kyiv. The first "International Week" was held during the period 12-16 February 2001 and a similar Course has been run in February every year since then, on each occasion involving more than 400 participants.

The formal aims of the International Week are:

* To improve knowledge of NATO, its organization and working methods;
* To discuss the challenges facing the Atlantic Alliance and its partners in today’s Security Environment;
* To address some key, current issues in the field of International Security; and
* To demonstrate the importance of a strong partnership between Ukraine and NATO.