Domestic Origins of the Ukrainian Crisis
The overwhelming challenge of simultaneous democratisation and state-building
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Since Ukraine gained its independence, the conflicting processes of both democratisation and the building of an effective nation-state have continued to impact on the power struggle of the elites. Occasionally, the mobilisation of mass protest has proven to be the critical factor for deciding this struggle. While the Orange Revolution was about enhancing democracy, the Euromaidan and separatism in Eastern Ukraine essentially concern stateness. The resulting crisis set the stage for the current confrontation between Russia and the West.
(Osteuropa 5-6/2014, pp. 41–60)