Ukrainian-Russian Relations

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that while Ukraine retains its autonomy, it has not been able to free itself from the power and influence of its former ruler. This paper examines the importance of Ukraine for Russia in its attempt to gain regional dominance, the various methods Russia has used and continues to use to impose its will on its former republic and bring the country firmly under its control, the possible options for Kiev to begin to lessen its dependence on Russia and finally, what the future of Ukraine-Russian relations is likely to hold. The paper includes MLA style footnotes but does not append a bibliography.

Outline:
The Economic and Strategic Importance of Ukraine for Russia
Moscow's Policies and Methods for Influencing Ukraine and Controlling the Region
Ukraine's Possibilities for Decreasing Russian Influence
The Future of Ukrainian-Russian Relations

From the Paper:

"A defining moment in the history of Ukraine is that of the Pereyaslav agreement of 1654, in which the Cossack Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky swore allegiance to the Tsar of Muscovy. Thus began more than three centuries of Russian rule, which finally ended with the fall of the Soviet Union in December 1991 and the official Russian recognition of Ukrainian sovereignty. The transition period following the collapse however, has been neither smooth nor easy, and since 1991, Ukraine and Russia have been engaged in a continuous conflict over a wide range of economic, political and security issues. Importantly, while Ukraine retains its autonomy, it has not been able to free itself from the power and influence of its former ruler. This paper will examine the importance of Ukraine for Russia in its attempt to gain regional dominance, the various methods Russia has used and continues to use to impose its will on its former republic and bring the country firmly under its control, the possible options for Kyiv to begin to lessen its dependence on Russia, and finally, what the future of Ukraine-Russian relations is likely to hold."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, Wikipedia,
• Margarita Balmaceda, "Gas, Oil and the Linkages between Domestic and Foreign Policies: The Case of Ukraine, Europe-Asia Studies 50, no. 2 (1998), 257-286.
• Janusz Bugajski, "Cold Peace: Russia's New Imperialism" (Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2004), 80.
• Renata Kosc-Harmatiy, "Ukraine's Quest for Europe: History, Geography, Identity." Kennan Institute Meeting Report vol. 23, no. 8 (2006).
• Alexander Kozhemiakin and Roger Kanet, "Russia and its Western Neighbours in the 'Near Abraod,'" in The Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, ed. Roger Kanet and Alexander Kozhemiakin (New York: St. Martin's Press Inc., 1997), 29.

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