Ukraine -AC Case Study

• Ukraine Case Study Introduction

  Ukraine is an Eastern European country located between the Carpathian Mountains in the West, and Russia in the east. Ukraine was formally part of the USSR until 1991, meaning that there are multiple ethnic groups of both Russian and Ukrainian as well as a lack of a single national identity. This has led to both internal and external challenges to its state sovereignty.
• Internal Threats: Paragraph 1

  17% of the population identify as ethnically Russian> predominantly in Eastern Ukraine where there has been a surge in pro-Russian separatist movements> led to conflict in the Donbass region between the separatist groups and the Ukrainian army> as a result, there are 1.4 million IDPs in Donetsk located in Eastern Ukraine and over 7000 fatalities> creates a challenge to Ukraine's state sovereignty due to them failing to protect their citizens in the Donbas region> caused separatist groups to gain power over Ukrainian territory.
• External Threats: Paragraph 2

  Annexation of Crimea in 2014 by Russia; Crimea is a peninsula in southern Ukraine with an abundance of oil and gas> 77% of the Crimean population speak Russian> built an identity with Russia> highlights their lack of national identity> 2014: a referendum was held in Crimea> 90% of the citizens voted to become part of Russia> votes were deemed as illegitimate by the international community> not honoured> led to the annexation of Crimea by Russia> this act threatens Ukraine's state sovereignty due to their lack of power over their own country.
• Use the case study of Ukraine if the question says ' state sovereignty '