Ukraine's Fault Lines: The Quest for Regional Hegemony in the Post-Soviet Space

This paper presents a critique of the European Union's flagship Eastern Partnership Initiative (EaP) within the context of its geopolitical ramifications on the political crisis in Ukraine. It particularly highlights the role of the Russian Federation as the principal protagonists and its quest to counter the EU's normative power within their shared neighborhood. The EaP has among its goals promoting a broad range of political and economic reforms with the partner states with the view to help them deepen liberal democratic values and enhanced security and stability within the framework of an enhanced Association Agreement. The Kremlin believes the EaP undermines Russian interest in the region. This paper therefore presents a critical analysis of the contending dynamics of the competing efforts to use Ukraine as the launching pad to reshape the post-Cold War regional order.