Through Times of Trouble Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European Politics
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i Through Times of Trouble Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European Politics Series Editor: Michael O. Slobodchikoff, Troy University Mission Statement Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, little attention was paid to Russia, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. The United States and many Western governments reassigned their analysts to address different threats. Scholars began to focus much less on Russia, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, instead turning their attention to East Asia among other regions. With the descent of Ukraine into civil war, scholars and govern- ments have lamented the fact that there are not enough scholars studying Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe. This series focuses on the Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European region. We invite contributions addressing problems related to the politics and relations in this region. This series is open to contributions from scholars representing comparative politics, international relations, history, literature, linguistics, religious studies, and other disciplines whose work involves this important region. Successful proposals will be acces- sible to a multidisciplinary audience, and advance our understanding of Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe. Advisory Board Michael E. Aleprete, Jr Andrei Tsygankov Gregory Gleason Stephen K. Wegren Dmitry Gorenburg Christopher Ward Nicole Jackson Matthew Rojansky Richard Sakwa Books in the Series Understanding International Relations: Russia and the World, edited by Natalia Tsvetkova Geopolitical Prospects of the Russian Project of Eurasian Integration, by Natalya A. Vasilyeva and Maria L. Lagutina Eurasia 2.0: Russian Geopolitics in the Age of New Media, edited by Mark Bassin and Mikhail Suslov Executive Politics in Semi-Presidential Regimes: Power Distribution and Conflicts between Presidents and Prime Ministers, by Martin Carrier Post-Soviet Legacies and Conflicting Values in Europe: Generation Why, by Lena M. Surzhko-Harned and Ekaterina Turkina Through Times of Trouble: Conflict in Southeastern Ukraine Explained from Within, by Anna Matveeva Through Times of Trouble Conflict in Southeastern Ukraine Explained from Within Anna Matveeva LEXINGTON BOOKS Lanham • Boulder • New York • London Published by Lexington Books An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.rowman.com Unit A, Whitacre Mews, 26-34 Stannary Street, London SE11 4AB Copyright © 2018 by Lexington Books All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available ISBN 978-1-4985-4323-1 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4985-4324-8 (electronic) ∞ ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Printed in the United States of America To All Who Died In Donbas Conflict Map of Eastern Ukraine. ID 40860225 © Mycolors | Dreamstime. Contents Foreword, by Michael O. Slobodchikoff ix Acknowledgments xi Abbreviations xiii Introduction: Talking Donbas, Not Putin xv 1 Framing the Issues: A Conflict among Other Conflicts 1 2 Laying Grounds for Confrontation 23 3 Faultlines in Crimea 47 4 Donbas: A Much-Unloved Powerhouse 69 5 Russian Spring: Bolsheviks and Monarchists, All Welcome! 93 6 Free Guerrillas: “Novorossiya be!” Ghosts and Somalis Take the Stage 121 7 “Hot Summer”: Military Campaign 145 8 Consolidation amid the New (Dis)order 169 9 New Symbolism in the Digital Era 193 10 Power of the State, Power of Ideas 215 11 Rebellion in Ukrainian Context: Inviting in or Shutting the Door? 239 12 What Is Donbas for Russia? 271 vii viii Contents Final Thoughts: Imperfect Peace Is Better than a Good War 293 Appendix A: Interviewees 301 Appendix B: Notes on Methodology 305 Bibliography 311 Index 325 About the Author 337 Foreword Ukrainian Crisis View from Eastern Ukraine Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, little attention was paid to Russia, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. The United States and many Western governments reassigned their analysts to address different threats. Scholars began to focus much less on Russia, Eastern Europe, and the for- mer Soviet Union, instead turning their attention to East Asia among other regions. With the descent of Ukraine into civil war, scholars and governments have lamented the fact that there are not enough scholars studying Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe. Scholars must again turn their focus on this extremely important geographic area. There remains much misunderstand- ing about the politics of the region. With tensions between governments at heightened levels unprecedented since the Cold War, scholarship addressing the politics of the region is extremely vital. The Russian, Eurasian, and East- ern European Politics Book Series aims at remedying the deficiency in the study and understanding of the politics of Eurasia. In 2013, the world witnessed the first major post–Cold War crisis between the United States and Russia. Ukraine had been vacillating between sign- ing an association agreement with the European Union or maintaining close ties with Russia. Moscow had made it clear that if Kyiv signed the associa- tion agreement, it would cut off aid to Kyiv as well as raise gas prices. As further incentive, Moscow agreed to provide further loans to Ukraine if it would agree not to sign the association agreement. Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych agreed and stated that he would not sign the agreement. Following that announcement, protesters began filling the Maidan Square in Kyiv, demanding an end to corruption and closer ties to the European Union. In the weeks that followed, Yanukovych fled the country, a new government assumed power, and signed the association agreement. Moscow in turn sent troops to Crimea, and Crimea soon voted to secede from Ukraine. Civil war ix x Foreword broke out as Donbas region also tried to secede. Kyiv sent forces to quell the rebellion, and Moscow and Kyiv found themselves in the most serious military altercation since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the United States, the seceding regions of Ukraine were portrayed as being merely puppets of a newly assertive Russian government. In fact, the Russians were seen as pulling all of the strings in the rebellion against Kyiv. This book provides a unique perspective on the conflict in Ukraine. The author was able to speak with many of the insurgents in the seceding ter- ritories. Drawing on a very unique experience, the author is able to offer a perspective on the Ukrainian crisis that has been lacking in the West. This book is a vital account that should be read by anyone interested in the current conflict between the United States and Russia. It should be used in all classes that examine democratic transition, as well as regional classes that focus on Russia and Eastern Europe. Michael O. Slobodchikoff Series Editor Lexington Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Politics Book Series Acknowledgments This book is a truly collective undertaking. I was amazed and enormously grateful to discover how many people believed in this publication to be a worthwhile effort and were prepared to offer their assistance, share critical insights, and generously let me benefit from their knowledge. Richard Sakwa provided encouragement for writing the book and led by example. Krista Zongolowicz, who had a great trust in my pursuit, helped to make the charac- ters acquire their voices in English and come to life. Anthony Foreman con- tributed with valuable editorial suggestions, always trying to bring me back to the ground and find balance in this complex story. Christopher Langton advised on complicated military and security aspects of the conflict, the field in which he has unrivalled expertise. Stephane Prevost was a huge inspiration for the book and contributed with his insights throughout the long process of writing. Elizabeth Teague encouraged me to be confident about my voice and was my thorough, meticulous reader. My friends and colleagues—Marc Berenson, Peter Nasmyth, Fiona Frazer, Craig Oliphant, Anna Munster, Robert Stephenson, and Jonathan Cohen—gave me useful suggestions and their opinions on the subject matter. I would like to thank Michael Slobod- chikoff, commissioning editor at Lexington Books, for support and guidance throughout the process. My sincere thanks also go to Joseph Parry, Madhu Koduvali and their colleagues at Lexington Books and at Deanta for their support and professionalism throughout the publication process. Russian journalist Vladimir Dergachoff from Moscow shared his in-depth knowledge of the subject and helped with some of the key contacts, while military historian Yevgenii Norin from Perm’ let me benefit from his field research. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of the “Union of Donbas Volunteers” and “Novorossiya Movement” in Moscow. The nature of the book is such that some of my contributors and helpers have to remain xi xii Acknowledgments anonymous, but I would like to extend my gratitude nevertheless. They know who they are. And finally, my heartfelt thanks go to my childhood friend Svetlana Ste- phenson for her indefatigable encouragement, critical, but fair eye while reading the drafts of the chapters, for our long intellectual conversations and for being always at my side when I needed it most. Much of the narrative is written on the basis of firsthand material collected through interviews, ongoing conversations, travel and observations taken by the author in Ukraine and Russia, as well as following the coverage of devel- oping stories. It provides the opinions of the key actors, as well as of others who played less prominent but nevertheless crucial roles in the events as they unfolded. This is the first time when the voices of direct participants will be heard in Western literature.