Name: Ukraine Crisis
Rating: 4.3 (682 reviews)
Author: Andrew Wilson

What’s in it for me? Take a closer look at the roots and the dynamics of the crisis in Ukraine.

A European country governed by a rogue leader. Oligarchs and mafia dons making political decisions. Voice an opinion against those in “power” and find yourself in jail.

This is modern Ukraine. For years, politics in this former Soviet country have been for sale, and Russia has been doing the buying, garnering more and more control. And meanwhile, the rest of the world sits back and watches, unable or unwilling to change the fetid status quo.

These blinks will show you how Ukraine got to this point, and importantly, explain what’s needed to get it out of this mess – and why the rest of the world simply can’t stand by idle anymore.

In these blinks, you’ll also learn

how a president allegedly fled the country with truck filled with cash;
how a computer hack triggered the Orange Revolution; and
why it took just a few masked men to take control of Crimea.

Ukraine, sandwiched between Russia and the EU, is a country torn by old and new loyalties.

Since long before protests erupted in 2014, Ukraine has struggled with political and economic problems. Much of its trouble has to do with its location: Ukraine is wedged between Russia and Western Europe.

Unsurprisingly, Russia has a long history of intervention in Ukraine. Recently, the country has sought to reassert its control in the region, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Ukraine however depends heavily on Russia's gas and oil reserves. Russia is well aware of this imbalance, and could easily drive Ukraine into bankruptcy by raising the price of fossil fuels. This position gives Russia a lot of leverage over its neighbor.

Russia has also funded certain Ukrainian politicians, who advocate political agendas written by Moscow, stressing pro-Russian and anti-Western actions.

On the other “side,” European Union countries also work to influence events in Ukraine. In 2008, the country began negotiations over an association agreement, a treaty with the European Union that creates a framework for strengthening Ukraine's political and economic ties with the West – much to Russia's chagrin.

The power of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been increasing, expanding eastward after the fall of the Iron Curtain. These two groups have brought more and more of Russia's former allies, such as Poland and the Baltics, into their fold.

Russia, in turn, has tried to aggressively guard its former sphere of influence.

This has put the European Union in an uncomfortable position. Member states have cut back on military spending while Russia is rearming – so provoking conflict is a dangerous game. And like Ukraine, the European Union also depends on a steady supply of Russian fossil fuels.

For some time, the strategy of the European Union was to simply ignore Ukraine’s growing predicament. Unfortunately, this ended up only making things worse.

The early Orange Revolution failed to root out rampant corruption in Ukraine’s political system.

In 1991, Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union. At the time, the country seemed ready to embrace a legitimate democratic government.

Yet this young country continued to be poorly governed, thanks to Russia's heavy hand and a lack of support from the European Union.

Citizens returned to the Maidan to protest corruption, and eventually drove the president from office.

In early 2008, the European Union and Ukraine began negotiations over a free trade agreement, but there were a few strings attached.

The European Union wanted Ukraine to sign an association agreement, a treaty that would ideally work to dismantle corruption in the government and in the judicial system.

The crisis in Ukraine has changed the post-Cold War global political landscape for the worse.

Many people in the West think that the crisis in Ukraine is far removed from their daily lives. This violent conflict affects more than just the citizens of the region, however.

Relations between Russia and Western nations are the worst they've ever been since the fall of the Iron Curtain. When Russia ignored Ukrainian national sovereignty through its annexation of Crimea, the European Union and the United States responded by imposing sanctions on Russia, with the intent to further weaken its already ailing economy.

Key ideas in Ukraine Crisis

What is Ukraine Crisis about?

Ukraine Crisis (2014) addresses the peaceful protests and violent conflicts that have rocked Ukraine in recent years. This book take a look at the events surrounding the Maidan uprising, the Russian annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in the Donbas. Importantly, the crisis is put into context not just for the future of Ukraine but also how it affects Russia, the European Union and the world.

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Ukraine Crisis summary