Ukraine’s foreign relations continue to play an important role in the world, both for European and Euro-Atlantic security, and more recently in U.S. domestic politics. For several decades Ukraine’s foreign policy was characterized by a particular type of balancing. Ukrainian governments consistently navigated between either Russian or Western positions, and were often somewhere in-between.
This presentation includes a discussion about the main reasons behind this complex balancing behavior and whether the events in 2013-14 can be seen as a critical juncture for a shift in Ukraine’s foreign policy orientation. Have events such as the Euromaidan, Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine shifted Ukraine’s foreign policy to a permanent unidirectional pro-Western orientation?
Per Ekman
is a visiting scholar at IERES and a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Uppsala University, Sweden. His dissertation deals with questions related to Ukrainian and Georgian foreign policy choices, and is based on many interviews with political elites and experts in the two countries. He has previous experience with the United Nations and NGO work in Georgia.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
4:00-5:00 pm
Voesar Conference Room, Suite 412
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St NW
