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CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION1.1. Scope and Objective: Significance of the ResearchIt was expected a radical transformation in political, cultural and social structures ofpost-Soviet countries right after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. In this regard,by leaving Soviet heritage behind, transition to free market economy and developingdemocracy were the major prospects in early 1990s in these countries. After theobservations of political transformations of post-Soviet countries, the EU has startedits own initiatives to integrate these countries into Western world. In this context,Ukraine is particularly in the spotlight since Orange Revolution and Euromaidanevents. Even though the EU has made substantial effort for this project, anticipateddevelopments have not occurred yet in Ukraine. In contrast, political structure of thecountry went from bad to worse after destabilization of the eastern part of thecountry.Researchers tend to explain the conflict in Ukraine either from the point ofinternational systemic view or from internal dynamics of Ukraine. The former groupmainly focus on the impact of Russia’s attitude on the conflict in Eastern Ukrainewhile the latter concentrates historical and sociological developments to reveal thecauses of the crisis. The significance of this research appears in this stage that itbroadens our understanding by combining two perspectives. On one hand, the studyclarifies the origin of Donbas conflict by scrutinizing historical developments and thereconstructing of the ‘Donbas exclusiveness’ since the independence of Ukraine. Onthe other hand, the research pays attention to the external factors to grab the origin ofthe conflict in Donbas. In this sense, the thesis concentrates on the concepts of hybridwar which is conducted by Russia against Ukraine. Hence, this dissertation aims toprovide a comprehensive research on Donbas Conflict. Particularly the research aimsto clarify the reasons behind the conflict and evaluates it within new war debates.1

1.2. Research QuestionThe Euromaidan demonstrations which occurred at the end of 2013 provokeddestabilization of Eastern Ukraine. After annexation of Crimea by RussianFederation, the Donbas territory became new focal point of the crisis in Ukraine.Since 2014, the war in Donbas constitutes one of the main political, economic andsocial problems in the country. Despite several initiatives there has been no lastingsolution to the conflict in Donbas for the past 5 years. In this period, two selfproclaimed ‘republics’ have been established in the territory that Ukraine blamesRussia in supporting those ‘republics’. Moscow however does not acknowledge itsinvolvement in the conflict. The experts who aim to analyze the causes of theconflict in Donbas mainly focus on the conflict either from the international systemiclevel or attempt to explain it by merely investigating the political dynamics ofUkraine. However, this thesis finds a research gap in both approaches and seeks toreveal the origin of the war in Donbas and attempts to answer the question, thatwhich factors could explain the outbreak and the conduct of the war in Donbas?By investigating the factors which had impact on the destabilization of Donbas inconnection to the form of war chosen to fight in the territory, this research seeks toresponse how the conflict in Donbas revealed and how it is being conducted?Questioning the form of war in Donbas helps us to understand external dimension ofthe war. Therefore, this thesis first seeks to answer how the war in Donbas is beingconducted? Subsequently it questions the factors which paved the way for the war inEastern Ukraine. This study particularly questions the milestones in the history ofUkraine which had a great impact on the formulation of Donbas regional identity.The thesis also answers that which political developments in Ukraine from 1991 to 2004including Orange Revolution played critical role in preparing the basis for outbreakof the war in Donbas. Besides, scrutinizing the Euromaidan events and theircontribution on the destabilization of Eastern Ukraine is another central questionwhich has been attempted to be answered. In this sense, revealing the impact of antiRussian Euromaidan demonstrations particularly after the seizure of Crimea issignificant to comprehend the beginning of the conflict in Donbas. This thesis furtheraims to explore non-military aspects of the war in Donbas. Questioning these aspects2

ensure to understand whole dimensions of the conflict in Ukraine. The research alsoattempts to inquire which obstacles the Donbas territory is experiencing to achieveresolution of the conflict.In order to put the subject in further perspective, a similar conflict to Donbas in postSoviet space has been taken as a unit for comparison to clarify the origin of theDonbas conflict. This is important to understand the reasons which kept the conflictlast so long and exploring this will enlighten us about the gaps left by previousresearch in this area of study.1.3. Literature ReviewUkraine’s crisis which began with the Euromaidan demonstrations at the end of 2013and sparked off the annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of Eastern regionsof the country has been explained from numerous angles. As a protracted war,ongoing conflict in Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine (Donbas) constitute themain sources of the Ukraine’s crisis. Besides, along with the impact of the conflicton internal politics of Ukraine the influence of the conflict in Donetsk and Luganskregions goes beyond the borders of the country. Therefore, it can be seen thatscholars’ approaches in evaluating the subject are becoming increasingly various. Inthis regard, scholars can be divided mainly into three camps. The first group includesscholars who consider the issue as a Russia’s war against Ukraine. The second groupapproaches to the subject from the view of internal politics of Ukraine. The lastgroup argues that the conflict in the Eastern regions of Ukraine originates from thedevelopments in international order.Andrew Wilson is one of the prominent scholars who discusses the origin of Donbasconflict in relation with Russia’s involvement. In his book titled ‘Ukraine Crisis:What It Means for the West’1 Wilson claims that contrary to what Russianpropaganda labeled the ousting of Yanukovych as a coup d’état in Kyiv in 2014, theactual coup was taken place in Crimea conducted by Kremlin. However, Moscow’s1Andrew Wilson, Ukraine Crisis: What It Means for the West (New Haven and London: YaleUniversity Press, 2014).3

calculation about Donbas was a misadventure which caused the destabilization of theregion. In the book, the author explains Russia’s involvement in Donbas conflictthrough numerous factors such as Putin’s personality, ‘humiliation’ of Russia due tothe collapse of Soviet Union or enlargement policy of North Atlantic TreatyOrganization (NATO). In an article named ‘The Donbas in 2014: Explaining CivilConflict Perhaps, but not Civil War’2 Andrew Wilson emphasizes the role of Russiain ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine. For Wilson, ‘accomplishments’ of separatistsin Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine could not be possible without Russia’ssupport. In their co-authored work, ‘What will Happen with Eastern Ukraine?’3Andrew Wilson and Kadri Liik argue that Moscow aims to overhaul the post-ColdWar order in Europe and tend to decide the fate of Ukraine in order to achieve thisaim.Taras Kuzio is another leading scholar who productively contributes the literature onUkraine and thereby Donbas conflict. Kuzio also links the source of the conflict inEastern Ukraine to Russian federation (RF). However, he claims that Moscow’sattitude against Ukraine arises from national identity issue. In his book, ‘Putin’s WarAgainst Ukraine: Revolution, Nationalism, and Crime’4 Kuzio claims that identityrelations between Russians and Ukrainians as well as Russian chauvinism towardsUkraine lie at the heart of Donbas conflict. In particular, the scholar underlines thatthe revival of Russian nationalism and Moscow’s refusal of recognizing Ukraine as asovereign state are the main reasons behind Russia’s war against Ukraine. Alongwith Kuzio, Timothy Snyder is another scholar who explains the Ukraine crisis inrelation with ideology. In the article ‘The Battle in Ukraine Means Everything’5Snyder draws attention to the rise of fascism in Russia based on the hatred againstthe ‘Western values’ and also refusal of the recognition of Ukraine as a sovereigncountry. For example, Russian propagandists during and after the EuromaidanAndrew Wilson, “The Donbas in 2014: Explaining Civil Conflict Perhaps, but Not Civil War,”Europe-Asia Studies 68, no. 4 (2016): 631–52, dri Liik and Andrew Wilson, “What Will Happen With Eastern?,” Policy Memo, vol. 119, 2014.Taras Kuzio, Putin’s War Against Ukraine: Revolution, Nationalism, and Crime (CreateSpaceIndependent Publishing Platform, 2017).4Timothy Snyder, “The Battle in Ukraine Means Everything,” The New Republic, 2014, accessed July23, 2019, urns-ukraine.54

demonstrations, were emphasizing the argument ‘Ukraine has never existed’ or‘Ukraine was always a part of Great Russia’. Thus, for Snyder, the main reason ofthe conflict in Donbas lies at the rising fascism in Russia.In his book titled ‘The Conflict in Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know’6 SerhyYekelchyk also explains conflict in Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine inrelation with Russia. According to Yekelchyk, the main reasons behind Russia’sinvolvement in war with Ukraine are Russians’ unwillingness to recognize Ukraineas a separate country out of their sphere of influence and the ideology of the Putinregime which promises to protect Russian speakers or ethnic Russians abroad.Another scholar is Sabine Fischer who pays attention to the role of Russia’s foreignpolicy in destabilization of Donbas region. For Fischer, conflict in Eastern Ukraine isthe last circle of unresolved conflicts in post-Soviet space. In her work, ‘RussianPolicy in the Unresolved Conflicts’7 Fischer agrees with the argument that Russia is arevisionist actor to the European order established after ending the Cold War.Additionally, she points out that Moscow follows ‘selective revisionism’ in terms ofpost-Soviet conflicts since the dynamics of the conflicts vary from each other.In searching the origin of the conflict in Donbas, Ihor Todorov also takes Russia as amain actor which supports the separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine. In his articlenamed ‘Sources of Modern Russian-Ukraine War: Donetsk Dimension’8 Todorovargues that Moscow is not merely organizer but also the executer of the conflict inDonbas. For Todorov, Russia had two options either to follow a system providessocial welfare or to become an imperialist power. The author points out that Russiadecided to adopt the latter option with Putin, and this is the main reason behind waragainst Ukraine.Stefan Meister is also among the scholars who associates the conflict in Ukraine toRussian Federation. Meister directly sees the Putin regime as a main source of the6Serhy Yekelchyk, The Conflict in Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know (New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 2015).Sabine Fischer, “Russian Policy in the Unresolved Conflicts,” SWP-Studie 13 (2016): 9–24, accessedJuly 23, 2019, en-conflicts-in-the-post-soviet-area/.7Ihor Todorov, “Sources of Modern Russian-Ukraine War: Donetsk Dimension,” Zeszyty NaukoweAon 3, no. 100 (2015): 27–31.85

Russian aggression in Ukraine. In his article ‘Fünf Illusionen über das System Putin’9(Five Illusions about the Putin System) Meister states tha

Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Yaşar Kondakçı Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Dr. Oktay F. Tanrısever Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully