Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the BorderlandsThe unfolding crisis in Ukraine has brought the world to the brink of a new Cold War. As Russia and Ukraine tussle for Crimea and the eastern regions, relations between Putin and the West have reached an all-time low. How did we get here? Richard Sakwa here unpicks the context of conflicted Ukrainian identity and of Russo-Ukrainian relations and traces the path to the recent disturbances through the events which have forced Ukraine, a country internally divided between East and West, to choose between closer union with Europe or its historic ties with Russia. In providing the first full account of the ongoing crisis, Sakwa analyses the origins and significance of the Euromaidan Protests, examines the controversial Russian military intervention and annexation of Crimea, reveals the extent of the catastrophe of the MH17 disaster and looks at possible ways forward following the October 2014 parliamentary elections. In doing so, he explains the origins, developments and global significance of the internal and external battle for Ukraine.With all eyes focused on the region, Sakwa unravels the myths and misunderstandings of the situation, providing an essential and highly readable account of the struggle for Europe's contested borderlands. |
Contents
1 | |
2 Two Europes | 26 |
3 Ukraine Contested | 50 |
4 The February Revolution | 81 |
5 The Crimean Gambit | 100 |
6 When History Comes Calling | 120 |
7 The Novorossiya Rebellion | 148 |
8 Worlds in Collision | 183 |
9 Frontline Politics | 205 |
10 The Future of Ukraine | 238 |
Afterword | 257 |
List of Abbreviations | 295 |
Notes | 297 |
327 | |
335 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Alexander April argued Association Agreement August Available became Belarus billion borders ceasefire cent Cold Cold War conflict constitutional country’s Crimea Crimean Tatars cultural defence democratic Dnepropetrovsk Donbas Donetsk east Eastern economic election EU’s Eurasian Europe European February Firtash forces foreign Gazprom geopolitical global Holodomor independence insurgents integration issue July June Kiev Kolomoisky language leaders Lugansk Maidan March militants military monist Moscow nationalist NATO notably Novorossiya Obama oligarchs Orange Revolution organisation parliament party peace people’s Petro Poroshenko pluralist political Poroshenko president President of Russia presidential prime minister protesters provoked Putin radical reform regime region Republic revolution Russia Russophone sanctions September 2014 Sergei Sevastopol sought Soviet Union statehood status strategy Svoboda Tatar territory threat tion Tymoshenko Ukraine crisis Ukraine’s Ukrainian nation Ukrainisers Verkhovna Rada Vladimir Vladimir Putin vote Washington West Western Yanukovych Yatsenyuk Yushchenko