Published September 21st, 2009 by Future Atlas
Russia-Ukraine Relations Deteriorating
Russian-Ukrainian tensions are building. “Now, for the first time in years, the word ‘war’ is being used here, and it’s not dismissed as impossible,” Ukrainian analyst Valeriy Chaly told the Washington Post.
This is driven by specific issues, such as the Crimean issue, and by the larger Russian skepticism that Ukraine is a permanent, independent state.
Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, told the Post that the debate in Moscow “is between moderates who want to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and ensure that it continues delivering Russian gas, and officials calling for a proactive strategy aimed at ’soft dominance’ over the country.”
Either path could lead to greater instability, amongst Ukraine’s divided citizenry, and between the two countries.