THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR – A WAR FOR THE PAST: THE QUESTION REGARDING THE IDENTITY OF UKRAINE
Keywords:
Russian-Ukrainian war, invasion, Russian Federation, Ukraine, identityAbstract
The Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine represents the greatest threat to peace and security in
Europe since the end of the Cold War. The arguments for holding the so-called “special military operation”,
however, are based on a much more fundamental question – the legitimacy of Ukrainian identity and statehood
itself. Throughout the entire period of Putin’s rule the country has pursued a policy towards Ukraine based on the
view that its national identity is artificially created, that it is the product of foreign manipulation that has no
historical basis. For the Russian president Russians and Ukrainians are “one people”, tracing their origins to the
medieval community of Kievan Rus. The last three decades, especially the years after 2014, have been marked by a
significant consolidation of Ukrainian civic identity. There is a gradual spread of “Ukrainianness” in an ever wider
part of the country – through official memory, legislation in the field of education, the media and others. The current
war further unites Ukrainian citizens from all regions and linguistic and religious backgrounds, while reinforcing the
divide between Ukrainian and Russian identities.
References
Белоус, А. (2017). Майже 70% громадян вважають рідною мовою українську. https://zn.ua/ukr/UKRAINE/mayzhe-70-gromadyan-vvazhayut-ridnoyu-movoyu-ukrayinsku-239473_.html
Бернд, Й., & Кишор, Ш. (2011). DW-Trend: Большинство украинцев - против вступления в НАТО. Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/ru/dw-trend
Вибори президента України. (2004). Центральної виборчої комісії України. https://cvk.gov.ua/pls/vp2004/wp0011-2.html
Національний склад населення України. (2001). Державний комітет статистики України. http://2001.ukrcensus.gov.ua/results/nationality_population/graphic
Шевчук, В. (2022). Слуги урода: как кремлевская агрессия поставила ОПЗЖ на грань выживания. Апостроф. https://apostrophe.ua/article/politics/2022-03-06/slugi-uroda-kak-kremlevskaya-agressiya-postavila-opzj-na-gran-vyijivaniya/44759
Allan, D. (2020, May). The Minsk Conundrum: Western Policy and Russia’s War in Eastern Ukraine. In Chatham House, Research Paper, Ukraine Forum. https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/2020-05-22-minsk-conundrum-allan.pdf
Emmott, R., & Siebold, S. (2016). NATO agrees to reinforce eastern Poland, Baltic states against Russia. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato-summit-idUSKCN0ZN2NL
Furlong, R. (2019). The Changing Story Of Russia's 'Little Green Men' Invasion. Radio Free Europe. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-crimea/29790037.html
Interfax-Ukraine. (January 10, 2013). Poll: Almost half of Ukrainians back Ukraine’s accession to EU. Kyiv post https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/eu-ukraine-relations/poll-almost-half-of-ukrainians-back-ukraines-accession-to-eu-318650.html
Institute for Economics & Peace. (June 2022).World Risk Poll: Spotlight on Ukraine and Russia. https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GPI-2022-Briefing-WRP-Ukraine-Russia-web-1.pdf
Kas'ianov, G. (2010). The Holodomor and the Building of a Nation, Russian Politics & Law, 48:5, 25-47.
Kireev, A. (2020). Украина. Президентские выборы 1994. Электоральная география. https://www.electoralgeography.com/new/ru/countries/u/ukraine/ukraine-presidential-election-1994.html
Kramer, A. E. (2022) What Are the Minsk Accords, and Could They Defuse the Ukraine Crisis? New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/world/russia-ukraine-minsk-accords.html
Kudriavtseva, N. (July 8, 2019). Ukraine’s Language Law: Whose Rights Are Protected?. Wilson Center. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/ukraines-language-law-whose-rights-are-protected
Kudelia, S. (June 3, 2014). Ukraine’s 2014 Presidential Election Result is Unlikely to be Repeated. PONARS Eurasia. https://www.ponarseurasia.org/ukraine-s-2014-presidential-election-result-is-unlikely-to-be-repeated/
Kulyk, V. (2016). National Identity in Ukraine: Impact of Euromaidan and the War. Europe-Asia Studies 68 (4): 588–608.
Kulyk, V. (2018). Ukraine’s 2017 Education Law Incites International Controversy Over Language Stipulation. PONARS Policy Memo, 525 https://www.ponarseurasia.org/wp-content/uploads/attachments/Pepm525_Kulyk_April2018_0.pdf
Lalpychak, C. (2017). Independence – over 90% vote yes in referendum; Kravchuk elected president of Ukraine. Wayback Machine, The Ukrainian Weekly from 8 December 1991.
Lawler, D., & Basu, Z. (Feb 24, 2022). Zelensky delivers impassioned address ahead of invasion. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2022/02/24/ukraine-russia-putin-zelensky-invasion
London, D. (February 25, 2022). The Coming Ukrainian Insurgency. Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ukraine/2022-02-25/coming-ukrainian-insurgency
MacFarquhar, N. (2014). Russia and 2 Neighbors Form Economic Union That Has a Ukraine-Size Hole. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/world/europe/putin-signs-economic-alliance-with-presidents-of-kazakhstan-and-belarus.html
Makhanov, K. (2019). Geography of the Presidential Elections in Ukraine. Eurasian Research Institute. https://www.eurasian-research.org/publication/geography-of-the-presidential-elections-in-ukraine/
Myers, S. L. (2004). Putin Backs Ukrainian Leader, Dismissing Call for New Runoff. New York. Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/03/world/europe/putin-backs-ukrainian-leader-dismissing-call-for-new-runoff.html
O’Loughlin, J., Sasse, G., Toal, G., & Bakke, K. M. (February 12, 2021). A new survey of the Ukraine-Russia conflict finds deeply divided views in the contested Donbas region. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/12/new-survey-ukraine-russia-conflict-finds-deeply-divided-views-contested-donbas-region
Onuch, O., & Sasse, G. (2016). Maidan in Movement: Protest Cycles, Diversity of Actors, and Violence. Europe-Asia Studies 68 (4): 556–587.
OSCE. (2015). Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. https://www.osce.org/cio/140156
Putin, V. (2011). A new integration project for Eurasia: The future in the making ("Izvestia", 3 October 2011). https://russiaeu.ru/en/news/article-prime-minister-vladimir-putin-new-integration-project-eurasia-future-making-izvestia-3-
Putin, V. (March 18, 2014). Address by President of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin, Moscow.
Putin, V. (July 12, 2021). On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians. President of Russia. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181
Putin, V. (February 21, 2022). Address by the President of the Russian Federation. President of Russia. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67828
Rumer, E., & Weiss, A. S. (2021). Ukraine: Putin’s Unfinished Business.
Seventeenth national survey. (August 23, 2022). Seventeenth national survey: Identity. Patriotism. Values. (August 17-18, 2022). Sociological group “Rating”. https://ratinggroup.ua/en/research/ukraine/s_mnadcyate_zagalnonac_onalne_opituvannya_dentichn_st_patr_otizm_c_nnost_17-18_serpnya_2022.html
Sindelar, D. (2014). Explainer: How Ukraine's Referendums Broke The Rules. Radio Free Europe. https://www.rferl.org/a/explainer-how-eastern-ukraine-referendums-broke-the-rules/25382108.html
Yanukovych, V. (2011). Ukraine's Future Is With the European Union. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903461304576524672209158138
Yurchuk, Y. (2020). Introduction. Religion in Ukraine: political and historical entanglements. Baltic Worlds,
(2-3), 69-73.