The Periphery

The good thing about the roundness of the Earth is that anywhere can literally be the center of the world.  But, in the everyday life of geopolitics, what happens when you are stuck in between two peripheries?  Positioned between two competing powers of influence, Ukrainian political reality is continuously being critiqued and affected by their neighbors.  Although globalization has enabled an increase of policies supporting equality and strengthening living standards, it appears that the impact on politics is loosing its charm for Ukraine.  Whereas under former president Yushenko Ukraine only looked West, today the regime is accepting critique from both sides.  However, they are rarely compatible. 

While most Western sources expressed disappointment with Ukrainian election procedure, sources in the East, including Russian and Chinese mass media, complimented the fairness and success of the October parliamentary elections.  Additionally, the East interferes less with Ukrainian autonomy allowing Ukrainian officials to identify and interpret their own needs.  As Ukraine has found acceptance within the East, the expectations that are supported by the EU are neglected.  This inconsistency complicates the future of Ukrainian progress as the lack of reception by the West results in a lack of productivity in EU objectives.

Although it appears that this lack of efficiency is caused by internal problems, the EU also has some responsibility.  For example, the ambivalence of EU demands results in a struggle of interpretation and idealization of Western values by Ukraine.  As they proceed to attain these vague desires, the expectations evolve and are altered.  Thus, the results are never achieved or are simply manipulated by the ruling party.  (This is evident in the language law passed this summer that created conflict as the regime attempted to warrant this as meeting the Western requirement to meet the needs of minorities.) Currently, disparity has developed between the wants of the EU and the needs of Ukraine. 

This ambiguity also highlights doubt in the EU interest to promote ascension and shift their boundaries further East.  The EU has had a vital responsibility in promoting state building and reaching out to post-Soviet states.  Implementing programs and funding initiatives such as women’s rights, election monitoring, and educational programs all require observation and submissiveness by Ukrainian policy makers.  In the end, international efforts perform many functions for the state.  Although the intentions are to create a foundation for the state to build upon, how should the state sustain these programs independently?

EU membership has been dangled in front of many Post-Soviet countries like a reward on a stick, but the temptation for the honor of membership is not enough to instill lasting changes in the Ukrainian society.  As the EU has become more reluctant to negotiate integration, Ukraine will not be excluded in the East.  Europe existed before the EU, and Ukraine may determine its contribution to Europe independently of the EU.

Oleksandr Horyn.  “Legitimizing the Regime”  The Ukrainian Week.  November 5, 2012.

http://ukrainianweek.com/Politics/64171

 “Washington Post: Україна скотилася до псевдодемократії”  (Washington Post: Ukraine falls to psudodemocracy.). BBC Ukraine.    November, 9, 2012.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukrainian/politics/2012/11/121109_us_press_ukraine_it.shtml

Nicholas Wheeler.  “Protecting Fortress Europe: International Approaches to Strengthening Institutinal Capacity in Mew EU States.”  Conference Paper.

Marc P. Berenson.  “‘Europe’ and the European Union in East-Central and Southeastern Europe.”

Nadia Shapkina.  "Between the State and Global Feminism: Post-Soviet Women's NGOs Navigating Local and Global Politics."