NEWS BRIEFING: One year since the protests began in the Ukraine

Dr Olga Onuch is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at The University of Manchester and a Research Fellow at Nuffield College at the University of Oxford.

She is an expert on protests, elections, activism and good governance in Ukraine and she is currently conducting large surveys of protest participants in Kyiv, Ukraine, as part of her ongoing Ukrainian Protest Project.

“One year after the beginning of the EuroMaidan (November 21, 2013) Ukrainians have witnessed the unfolding of, mass-violence against peaceful protesters, a historic capital quenched in a wall of fire, the fleeing of repressive yet democratically elected President, the invasion and annexation of the Crimean peninsula, the eruption of foreign state sponsored conflict in a significant portion of two far eastern oblasts (provinces) and a serious economic crisis. And yet, even confronted with these difficulties most protesters were able to remain peaceful, the country was able to coordinate two relatively successful elections in the space of six months. 

“While the conflict in the Donbass is not over, if anything else the Ukrainian electorate and their elected leaders has demonstrated that they are strong, resourceful and capable of withstand several simultaneous crises.
 

“The two central uncertainties that remain are whether and how Russia will continue to fuel the conflict in the east and to what end, and how the newly elected Parliament and President (October 26) will be able to incorporate the diverse electoral groups in Ukraine. 
 

“Although it is true that Ukraine is country where regional identities remain strong – BUT so does a strong level of civic identity. If the politicians in Kyiv are able to tap in to this civic patriotism and not resort to small or large nationalism or other reactionary then they will be able to unite the road. While the road ahead is surely not easy, Ukrainians has demonstrated their democratic resilience and   united (with the strong support of the EU and NATO allies) they will be able to get to the democratic and stable end, even if this road does seem longer than ever."

Notes for editors

Dr Olga Onuch can be contacted at olga.onuch@manchester.ac.uk or by phone on 07788 280715 - contact by email is likely to prompt a quicker response.

Dr Onuch recently discussed her research at the Ukraine Post-Elections Event, UK Houses of Parliament (by invitation of John Whittingdale OBE MP, The British-Ukraine All-Party Parliamentary Group, The Henry Jackson Society and Ukraine Crisis Media Centre).

For more information about Dr Onuch visit OlgaOnuch.com

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