Politics Forum on Ukraine: What Are They Fighting For?

Politics Forum on Ukraine: What Are They Fighting For?

Thursday, February 6, 2014, TCNJ Library Auditorium, 11:30-12:20

Sponsored by the TCNJ Center for Global Engagement, the

TCNJ Library, and the TCNJ Department of Political Science

Hosted in Kyiv by the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School (KMBS)

Panelists recruited by KMBS, the Ukrainian Fulbright Commission, and EducationUSA (higher education advising organization of the US Government)

Panelists in Kyiv

·  Mychailo Wynnyckyj, PhD - Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology and Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, Director of the Doctoral School, National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”

•  Gennadiy Druzenko, LL.M. (European Law), Partner and Head of EU Law Practice, “Constructive Lawyers” Legal Firm (2009-2010 Fulbright Scholar, Kennan Institute, Wilson Center, Washington, DC)

•  Ielyzaveta Shchepetylnikova,President of the Ukrainian Association of Student Self-Government (UASS) and Presidium member at the All-Ukrainian Union “Maidan”

•  Isaac Webb, American Fulbright Scholar (Washington and Lee '13)

•  Andriy Dvoyak, Ukrainian student

•  Stepan Berko, Students Civil Society

•  Kateryna Maksym or Anastasia Bezverkha,Civic Sector of EuroMaidan media group

Moderator at TCNJ

·  Jon Stauff, PhD – Director, TCNJ Center for Global Engagement/History

Acknowledgements

In Kyiv: In Ewing:

KBMS – Vivica Williams TCNJ Library – Dean Taras Pavlovsky

EducationUSA – Ann Merrill and Paula Rainey

Fulbright – Marta Kolomayets, TCNJ Political Science – Dr.Miriam Lowi

Inna Barysh, and Natalia Zalutska TCNJ History – Dr. Cynthia Paces

TCNJ Communications – David Muha

and Emily Dodd

TCNJ MTSS – Roman Sohor

There may be time in the final part of the presentation for questions from the TCNJ audience. When prompted, please raise your hand and speak loudly and clearly so that the question may be heard by all participants. Thank you.

Background Notes: Historical Synopsis to EuroMaidan

Ukrainian history is complicated. Even the country’s name is controversial: “Ukraine” may mean “homeland” or “borderland.” Its people recall the golden age of the Kievan Rus ten centuries ago, but Ukraine lost its independence in the 13th Century. Various conquering powers divided the territory and absorbed pieces of Ukraine into their empires. Ukraine’s modern history features a succession of foreign monarchs and totalitarian rulers at the helm. Today’s events in Ukraine represent a people’s ongoing efforts to emerge from a troubled past to create a prosperous nation-state for over 45 million people.

After World War I, most of present-day Ukraine became a constituent republic of the USSR, the flagship of world communism. Millions of Ukrainians, though, found themselves living in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Romania. Wilson’s theory of national self-determination appeared to skip over the Ukrainians. The USSR would later annex the provinces after World War II, and post-war Ukraine would serve as a center of industrial and agricultural power in the Soviet Union.

The fall of Communism and the dismantling of the USSR led to a resurgence of nationalism in Europe, and Ukraine declared its independence in August 1991. Ukraine’s first two presidents were former Communist party officeholders, and each leader maintained close ties with the Russian Federation. The country took steps, though, to remove nuclear weapons from its territory and work toward the creation of a representative government and a peaceful and prosperous future for its people.

2004 was a watershed year for Ukraine, with a presidential election featuring Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych against Viktor Yuschenko. Yanukovych, who sought closer ties to Russia, won a run-off election, but allegations of electoral irregularities led to massive demonstrations in Ukraine’s streets – the “Orange Revolution.” The Supreme Court voided the election results, and Yuschenko triumphed in the subsequent presidential election.

Creating a sustainable democracy can be difficult, especially with the persistent memory of the Soviet era and without a democratic tradition in Ukraine’s history. Divisions among the leaders of the Orange movement led to the comeback of Viktor Yanukovych in the 2010 presidential election. The Yanukovych government weakened the powers of the legislature and the prime minister, creating an all-encompassing executive branch that was able to concentrate most powers in the hands of a chosen few (often called “the Family”).

Ukraine has experienced financial challenges lately. Leaders have been advised by the World Bank to institute structural reforms to promote international investment and economic development. The country finds itself short of the cash needed to provide affordable fuel for its people during the harsh winter. Ukraine’s government has responded to overtures from the European Union for closer trade links, and talks have taken place regularly over the past few years. Yanukovych recently had second thoughts about Europe, though, and chose to accept economic aid from Russia. This decision has been interpreted as the spark that drove people to take to the Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) again in November 2013. Thus was born the “EuroMaidan” movement.

To the demonstrators, EuroMaidan represents the struggle for political rights, concern over the concentration of power in the hands of the “Family,” and opposition to the intimidation by the police – especially militia units known as the Berkut. The ruling Party of the Regions, meanwhile, has painted EuroMaidan as yet another attempt by the West to interfere with Ukrainian affairs.