210165 SE BAK10 International Politics and Development (2020S)

The annexation of Crimea in 2014 has shaken the security architecture of post-Cold War Europe and led to a serious crisis in Russia’s relations with the West. The ongoing military conflict in Donbas already took more than ten thousand lives; it undermines the reform process in Ukraine and threatens the safety and well-being of the millions of people. How could it happen that two neighboring countries with deep historical and cultural ties and solid legal foundations for bilateral relations have found themselves in such a profound conflict?

The course focuses on the sources of the current Ukrainian-Russian conflict from the historical perspective of the three post-Soviet decades. It explores different aspects of the Ukrainian-Russian relations, from security, economic cooperation and regional integration to historical memory and nation building. Among topics addressed are the asymmetrical nature of the Ukrainian-Russian relations, the causes of the Orange Revolution (2004) and of the Euromaidan (2013-14) and Russia’s responses to both events, the dynamic of the political crisis in Ukraine, Russia’s hybrid aggression, the internationalization of the conflict as well as well as its consequences for domestic politics in post-Maidan Ukraine and “post-Crimean” Russia. Perspectives of settling the conflict in Donbas and of a Ukrainian-Russian reconciliation, as well as prospects of Russia’s relations with the EU will also be addressed. Students will be confronted with different perspectives on the conflict and will learn to identify the interests, positions and arguments of the involved sides. The course will contribute to a better understanding of the political dynamics in the post-Soviet space and deepen the students’ knowledge about conflicts and conflict resolution.