Ukraine in Europe: Questions and Answers (англ.)

CONTENTS
List of Questions 3
Chronology of Ukrainian History 6
Basic Data 10
Questions and Answers 11
Conspiracy theories tell us about the West’s and especially
the U.S. “dream” of the USSR’s dissolution. What was the West’s position vis-a-vis Ukrainian independence? 11
Why, in contrast to some other Soviet republics, were there no interethnic conflicts as Ukraine moved towards independence? 13
Given the depth of Russification of eastern Ukraine, the CIA’s sensational report in early 1994 speculated that Ukraine could “split” in two. Why didn’t this happen? 14
What is the present ethno-linguistic situation? Is the Russian language under threat? 15
Despite profound regional differences, there is no federalization of Ukraine. Why? 16
Why doesn’t Ukraine recognize Kosovo? 17
Why was Ukraine a founder but not a member of the CIS? 18
What is the “tapegate scandal” and how has it influenced Ukraine’s politics? 19
How was the country deliberately polarized by Kuchma’s administration during the 2004 presidential elections? 20
What were the reasons for the success of the Orange Revolution?
Was it a Western plot? 21
What were the results of the Orange Revolution? 22
Why did the Party of Regions reemerge and why did Yanukovych return as prime minister in 2006? 23
Ukrainian politics seem to be very turbulent, but eventually result in compromises. Why is that? What is “pluralism by default”? 24
What are the main achievements and disappointments of the Ukrainian economy? 25
What is the influence of the world economic crisis of 2008-2009 on Ukraine? 29
What are the directions of constitutional reform? 30
Is it necessary for Ukraine to return to a single mandate electoral system? 31
During the 1990s, the Communists were the strongest party in the parliament. Are they still as influential? 32
How decisive is Russia’s influence in Ukraine? 32
Creation of an “enemy image” of Ukraine 33
Why is Ukrainian Orthodoxy split? What are the prospects for a canonic, autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church? 34
Divisive history issues 35
Why do Ukrainians consider the 1933 famine as constituting genocide? 36
Divisive history: the Organization of Ukrainian
Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) 37
Soviet and Russian propaganda portrayed the Ukrainian national liberation movement as anti-Semitic. It promoted this stereotype in the Western media as well. What is the real history of Ukrainian-Jewish relations? 40
Can Russia repeat the South Ossetian/Abkhazian scenario in Crimea? 43
“Gas wars”: what happened between Russia and Ukraine in the winters of 2006 and 2009? 45
What was the EU reaction to the Russia-Ukraine “gas war” in winter of 2009? 47
Is the EU ready to recognize the prospect of Ukraine’s membership? 48
Visa issue: test of the EU’s good will 51
Can Ukraine stay neutral/non-aligned? 52
There is a stereotype that the policy of joining NATO was formulated by President Yushchenko after the Orange

Revolution. However, it is President Kuchma who argued that Ukraine should join NATO 52
Yanukovych once actually "scheduled" Ukraine’s entry into
NATO in 2008. So, is the Party of Regions really anti-NATO? ....54
NATO promised that “Ukraine will become a NATO member,” but refused to offer a Membership Action Plan (MAP). How could this happen? 55
How will the results of the 2010 presidential elections influence future Ukrainian politics? 57
Charts
1. Breakdown of Ukraine's Exports of Goods 58
2. Breakdown of Ukraine's Imports of Goods 59
Tables
1. Nations in Transit 2009. Ratings and Democracy
Score Summary 60
2. Democracy Score. Year-To-Year Summaries 62
Maps
1. Kyivan Rus circa 1000 64
2. East Slavic Lands circa 1450 65
3. Ukrainian Lands, 1649 66
4. Ukrainian Lands circa 1750 67
5. Ukraine, 1914 68
6. Ukraine, January 1919 69
7. Ukraine, 1937 70
8. Ukraine circa 1970 71
9. Ukraine, 2009 72