The Sunday Show: Ukraine and Europe, Post-Maidan Changes, Frozen Conflicts

✅ Mr. Poroshenko Goes to Munich

President Petro Poroshenko has called on Russia to cooperate with proposed plans to deploy UN Peacekeepers to occupied Donbas during the of 54th Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday. Speaking at the conference, Poroshenko made scathing remarks about Russia’s continued aggression on Ukrainian territory, stating that that the hybrid war waged by Russia was “gradually turning into a full-fledged World Hybrid War”. Hromadske sits down with Andreas Umland, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, to talk about what can we expect to come out of the conference for Ukraine and whether this will impact Russia’s stance on the proposed UN peacekeeping mission.

Andreas Umland,

Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation

✅ Understanding Ukrainian Society, Four Years After Maidan

Four years ago, Ukrainians stood on the Maidan, in the center of Kyiv, protesting against Russian-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych and his corrupt regime, while calling for closer ties with European Union. While Ukraine has reached certain milestones in its path towards the EU, it continues to struggle with corruption alongside Russian aggression. Hromadske speaks with Kyiv International Institute of Sociology’s Junior Research Analyst Liana Novikova, Democratic Initiatives Foundation’s Political Analyst Petro Burkovskyi and the Institute for Demography and Social Studies’ Director Ella Libanova about how Ukrainian attitudes have changed since the Euromaidan revolution.

Liana Novikova,

Junior Research Analyst, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology

Petro Burkovskyi,

Political Analyst, Democratic Initiatives Foundation

Ella Libanova
Director, Institute for Demography and Social Studies

✅ Inside Ukraine’s Patrol Police

In 2016, Ukraine created a new unit of tactical-operational patrol police. This regiment was formed as a replacement for Ukraine’s Berkut riot police, infamous for their brutality during demonstrations. The new unit was designed to protect public order at protest rallies and also patrol the city. But is this new police really any different? Hromadske speaks to Serhiy Romanov, commander of Kyiv’s tactical unit and active member of the EuroMaidan about the work of the new unit.

✅ Europe, Ukraine, and EU Enlargement

Former Portuguese Europe Minister Bruno Maçães believes the distinction between Europe and Asia is slowly dissolving. According to Maçães, ‘Eurasia’ is the future, and while countries like China and Russia have long been pushing for this new order, Europe is also starting to recognize the strength in this idea. Hromadske spoke to Maçães about the borders of Europe and what this means for Ukraine.

Bruno Maçães,

Senior Advisor at Flint Global

✅ On The Dividing Line Between Georgia and South Ossetia

A decade ago, Russia occupied Georgia’s South Ossetian region. Today, a barbed wire fence — erected by the Russian-Ossetian authorities — runs through the village of Khurvaleti. While most locals live on the Georgian side, one family has been isolated on the Ossetian side. For around six years Dato Vanishvili and his family have been cut off from their homeland and remained the single inhabitants on the Ossetian side of the fence. Today, presidential and ministerial delegations visit to shake hands with Dato Vanishvili through the barbed wire fence. Hromadske also travelled there to speak to Vanishvili about his life and his family.

Nicu Popescu

Senior Analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies