Ukraine & Russia: A Fraternal Rivalry

by Anatol Lieven

Release Date: May, 1999

Edition: Paperback

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An excellent review

Anatol Lieven does a marvelous job explaining a rather complex issue of Ukrainian-Russian relations with great tact, detail and understanding that so commonly lacks in the works produced in the West. The book makes it obvious that a currently fashionable talk on postimperialist Russia versus an underdog postcolonialist Ukraine misfits the issue. The reality of modern nation building through separation and distancing from the larger "mother" nation makes reciprocal perceptions of Russians in Ukraine and Ukrainians in Russia as much a function of self-serving politics as of the common historical past, mutual admiration and truly fraternal ties between these two related nations.

Lieven's cautioning againt the dangers of nationalism masquerading as "postcolonial" democracy is as relevant to Ukraine as it is to Kazakhstan or, say, Zimbabwe. The book makes a strong case against continuing attempts of some western geopoliticians, unreconstructed cold warriors and eternally anti-Russian hawks of the Ukrainian dispora in the west to drive a wedge between the two countries that even now are much closer to each other than, for example, Canada and the USA. The book essentially argues that, to facilitate both countries' liberal-democratic development, the West must help their strategic partnership, not obstruct it. This is a refreshing view, made all the more relevant by post-September 11 developments.

Excellent Short Survey

This book gives a great overview of Ukraine's history and Ukrainian-Russian relations. It's central argument is that relations are likely to remain peaceful between these two great Slavic states unless Ukraine's economy does much worse than Russia's or Ukrainian nationalism (concentrated among a decided minority of Ukrainians in Galicia in western Ukraine) grows markedly. Lieven argues that the West should not encourage the nationalists as stronger old-style Ukrainian nationalism would be one of the few things to harm the otherwise extremely close and good relations between Ukrainians and Russians throughout much of the rest of Ukraine. Well-written and a lot packed into this thoughtful good work that remains relavant in 2001.