by David R. Marples (Editor)
This collective work analyzes the
ongoing conflict in Ukraine, providing a coherent picture of Ukraine and
Eastern Europe in the period 2013–2020. Giving voice to different
social groups, scholarly communities and agencies relevant to Ukraine's
recent history, The War in Ukraine's Donbas goes beyond simplistic media
interpretations that limit the analysis to Vladimir Putin and Russian
aims to annex Ukraine. Instead, the authors identify the deeper roots
linked to the autonomy and history of Donbas as a region. The
contributions explore local society and traditions and the alienation
from Ukraine caused by the events of Euromaidan, which saw the removal
of the Donetsk-based president Viktor Yanukovych. Other chapters address
the refugee crisis, the Minsk Accords in 2014 and the impact of the new
president Volodymyr Zelensky and his efforts to bring the war to an end
by negotiations among Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany.
The book concludes with four proposals
for a durable peace in Donbas: territorial power-sharing; the conversion
of rebels into legitimate political parties; amnesty for all
participants of the armed conflict; and a transitional period of several
years until political institutions are fully re-established.
