Samuel T Whitehouse

Since gaining independence in 1991 why has Ukraine remained in a state of perpetual crisis management? Samuel T Whitehouse

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Eastern Europe, Coventry University, language: English, abstract: First the dissertation will produce a case study questioning how Lithuania was able to severe ties with Russia, post-independence, compared to Ukraine? Then in order to contextualize the four problem areas, reference will be made to Ukraine's four post-independent presidents; Leonid Kravchuk (1991-1994), Leonid Kuchma (1994-2005) in chapter 2, and Viktor Yushchenko (2005-2010) and Viktor Yanukovych (2010-2014) in chapter 3. In conclusion the dissertation will argue that twenty-seven years of perpetual crisis management is due to the inaction of Ukraine's post-independent presidents to tackle Kleptocratic-oligarchy, Identity, Dependency and Security, as areas identified for stifling the nations progress. Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 promised to be a fresh start for Ukraine and its peoples; a sovereign nation with the ability to pave its own destiny, free from the bloodied shackles of its Communist past. A nationwide referendum solidified the Ukrainian parliament's declaration of independence garnering an irrefutable show of support for statehood. Twenty-two years since gaining independence Ukraine was set to sign a landmark, comprehensive Association Agreement with the European Union; an agreement seen by many to represent the first phase of Ukraine's alignment with the Western world. Even Ukraine's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych had euphorically proclaimed "we [Ukraine] are walking towards Europe". However by August 2013, with three months to go before the official signing of the deal, Russia implemented a de facto trade embargo on Ukrainian exports, in addition, the EU demanded the immediate release of jailed opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko, a move Yanukovych flat out rejected. Facing stalemate on both fronts, on the 21st November 2013 Ukrainian Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov, a
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