Ukraine - the State in Between
Study Course Implementer
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
Preliminary Knowledge
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Students will understand and report the impact of Ukrainian historical development phases on contemporary Ukrainian politics and its development, as well as describe the Ukraine’s approach to promoting cooperation in the regional and international context. Students will also demonstrate knowledge of Russia/ES/US interactions in the context of the Black Sea and Eastern European regions. As the Ukraine’s present and the context of Ukraine and Russia have a decisive influence on the security situation of the Baltic States and its assessment within the framework of the risks posed by Russia, an in-depth understanding of Ukrainian domestic and foreign political vectors will increase students’ knowledge of potentially expected actions of Russia in other regions.
Skills
1.Students will be able to study large amount of materials independently, critically select and draw objective conclusions based on them, and present them and answer questions in a reasoned manner. Students will analyse and predict the impact of personalities on the development of the Ukrainian foreign political course and being among various geopolitical and regional projects.
Competences
1.Students will assess and explain in a reasoned manner the impact of various factors on the development of Ukraine – why the country is still in general among different geopolitical projects. Students will form and provide new recommendations on future development scenarios of Ukraine in professional, academic and business environments. Such competences can also be transferred to other regions and other thematic issues requiring interdisciplinary and interregional competences and related skills and knowledge.
Assessment
Individual work
Examination
Study Course Theme Plan
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History of Ukraine: establishment of the modern state
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History of Ukraine: 20th century, Soviet Union and its collapse
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Two Ukrainian revolutions: 21st century
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Russia – from an occasional ally to the enemy
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Military conflict and prolonged humanitarian crisis
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Ukrainian relations with the EU in the context of the Eastern Partnership
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Ukraine’s bilateral relations with neighbouring countries
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Ukraine’s relations with the United States, Canada, Israel and Turkey
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Ukraine and international organisations (IMF, UN, OSCE, NATO)
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Ukraine from within: regionalisation, oligarchs and politics
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Ukraine and historical impact of different empires
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Ukraine in the Soviet Union and after it collapsed: consequences
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Causes and effects of the Orange and Maidan Revolutions
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Decay of Ukrainian-Russian relations – resources, politics and economy
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Conflict in eastern Ukraine – potential for reintegration or frozen conflict?
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Ukraine’s path to the EU – reform process, political and financial assistance, sustainability of relations
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Ukraine’s neighbours: friends or (fr)enemies?
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Ukraine in global politics – bilateral relations
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Ukraine in global politics – international organisations
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Ukrainian domestic policy – cause or result of foreign policy?
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History of Ukraine: establishment of the modern state
-
History of Ukraine: 20th century, Soviet Union and its collapse
-
Two Ukrainian revolutions: 21st century
-
Russia – from an occasional ally to the enemy
-
Ukraine and historical impact of different empires
-
Ukraine in the Soviet Union and after it collapsed: consequences
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Causes and effects of the Orange and Maidan Revolutions
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Decay of Ukrainian-Russian relations – resources, politics and economy
Bibliography
Required Reading
Visa literatūra ir angļu valodā un piemērota gan latviešu, gan angļu plūsmas studentiem
“10 facts you should know about russian military aggression against Ukraine,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, 2019.
Berger, Miriam. “The U.S. relationship with Ukraine runs deep. Here’s why,” Washington Post, 12 November 2019.
De Maio, Giovanna. Russia’s View of Ukraine after the Crisis. Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), 2016, JSTOR
Gerasymchuk, Sergiy. “The Relations Between Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova: Prospects For 2020,” Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, 12 February 2020.
Getmanchuk, Alyona. “Russia as aggressor, NATO as objective: Ukraine’s new National Security Strategy,” New Europe Center, 30 September 2020.
Gressel, Gustav. “Russia’s Ukraine policy: Change to stay the same,” European Council on Foreign Relations, 3 February 2020.
“History of Ukraine,” Internet Encyclopaedia of Ukraine, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, 2020.
Iwański, Tadeusz. “Ukraine: relations with Belarus suspended,” Centre for Eastern Studies, 2 September 2020.
Kappeler, Andreas. “Ukraine and Russia: Legacies of the imperial past and competing memories,” Journal of Eurasian Studies, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2014, pp. 107-115, Sience Direct.
Karatnycky, Adrian. “Ukraine's Orange Revolution.” Foreign Affairs, vol. 84, no. 2, 2005, pp. 35–52. JSTOR.
Kobylyuk, Mykola. ““Joke” suggesting Romanian-Ukrainian war: What stands behind it,” UNIAN, 5 June 2019.
Kupfer, Matthew. “Ukraine-Israel relations on the upswing, but challenges remain,” Kyiv Post, 9 May 2019.
Kuromiya, Hiroaki. “Ukraine and Eurasian History in the Twentieth Century.” Harvard Ukrainian Studies, vol. 34, no. 1/4, 2015, pp. 195–213. JSTOR.
Kusa, Ilya. “Ukraine’s Uncertain Foreign Strategy amid Turkey’s Growing Regional Power,” Wilson Center, 13 February 2020.
Levonyuk, Tetyana. “A Trouble-Free Neighbor: What Should Ukraine Change in Relations with Slovakia?” New Europe Centre, 13 September 2019.
Magocsi, Paul Robert. A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples, Second Edition 2nd Edition, University of Toronto Press, 2010.
Masters, Jonathan. “Ukraine: Conflict at the Crossroads of Europe and Russia,” Council on Foreign Relations, 5 February 2020.
Matuszak, Sławomir. The oligarchic democracy. The influence of business groups on Ukrainian politics. OSW Studies, 2012, pp. 13-23.
Sasse, Gwendolyn. “Ukraine: The Role of Regionalism.” Journal of Democracy, Vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 99–106, 2010.
Schlein, Lisa. “Rights Violations Rampant in Parts of Ukraine, UN Report Says,” VOA News, 3 October 2020.
Schmid, Ulrich, and Oksana Myshlovska (eds). Regionalism without Regions: Reconceptualizing Ukraine’s Heterogeneity. Central European University Press, pp. 3-24, 2019. JSTOR.
Socor, Vladimir. “Ukraine and Hungary Move to Settle Differences Over National Minority Legislation, Part 1&Part 2,” Eurasia Daily Monitor, Vol. 17, No. 80-81, June 2020.
“Ukraine Crisis Continent’s Most Pressing Challenge, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Chair Tells Council, Underlining Importance of Dialogue,” SC/14099, 6 February 2020, United Nations.
“Ukraine's revolution of dignity: The dynamics of Euromaidan,” Journal of Eurasian Studies, vol. 7, no. 1, 2016, pp. 85-91, Science Direct.
Wilson, Andrew. “Ukraine and the oligarchs: Endless delays to reform,” European Council on Foreign Relations, 13 May 2020.
Additional Reading
The above list of Required Reading is not exhaustive, and it is expected that students choose additional literature. Furthermore, additional reading materials will be added at the launch of the course, taking into account the dynamic developments in Ukraine, its relations with its partners, as well as ongoing developments in the region/world. Suggested readings will also be provided for each of the seminars.