With 13,000 dead and 30,000 wounded, the Ukrainian crisis remains pertinent moving into 2019. Commanding the interest of stakeholders on both sides of the globe, this is a crisis that does not show any signs of slowing down. Caught between two monoliths of economic influence, Ukraine has seen ethnic and nationalist divisions be exacerbated following a rejected free trade agreement with the EU in 2013. Since then, separatist movements have gained significant traction in the region of Donbas, and Crimea has been annexed by the Russian Federation. Ukraine has endeavored to regain control of these territories and has been met with armed resistance. Russia, in particular, has moved to provide military and economic aid to the Donbas separatists. Analyzing structural data and recent events, this report aims to provide an objective assessment of what has informed the Ukrainian conflict. Ultimately, this report maintains that Russian aggression, economic interdependence, and political instability/meddling are the primary factors of sustained conflict in this region. These findings are premised upon the Country Indicators for Foreign Policy Project (CIFP) and were arrived at by utilizing its categorical risk assessment mechanism.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
You May Also Like
Living Among the Population in Southern Afghanistan: A Canadian Approach to Counter-Insurgency
The Munk Debate on Canada’s Foreign Policy brought together last September the three federal party leaders to defend…
Episode 27 – Brexit Negotiations: Challenges, Solutions and Moving Forward
Guest: Dr. Achim Hurrelmann, Director of the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Associate Director of the Centre for European…
Jihobbyists, Fanatics or Fan-attacks? Exploring Extremist Fan Cultures through Inspire Magazine
Supporters of al Qaeda-inspired movements are often referred to as “fanatics.” There is an element of truth to…
Understanding the “Fan-attack”: Lone-wolves and Media Narratives
In my previous blog post, I explored how al Qaeda’s “fans” or Jihobbyists contribute to the movement through…
The Failure of US-North Korea Talks in Vietnam: Maybe Not Such a Bad Thing?
Well, I certainly didn’t expect the summit in Hanoi to go the way it did. When it was…
For the West, war isn’t working anymore
It’s mid-September, the seasons are changing — and Canadians have every reason to feel uneasy. The erstwhile global…