Ukrainian Crisis Rooted in Twenty Years of Poor Governance: US Expert

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Smoke rises after shelling in the city of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 20, 2014 - Sputnik International
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The solution to the Ukraine crisis must begin with Ukrainians being clear that they will respect all minorities and provide autonomy options, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, specializing in defense and foreign policy issues, said.

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MOSCOW, November 24 (Sputnik) — The solution to the crisis in Ukraine lies in mutual concessions by all the stakeholders, Michael Edward O'Hanlon, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, specializing in defense and foreign policy issues, said in an interview with RIA Novosti Monday.

The crisis in Ukraine erupted in November last year initially with a wave of anti-government protests that later culminated in the overthrow of then President Viktor Yanukovych. After a new government came to power in the country, residents of some Ukrainian regions refused to recognize its legitimacy. In March, residents of Crimea held a referendum, which resulted in the republic's secession from Ukraine and rejoining Russia. In April, residents of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine established people's republics that later declared independence.

"I feel the solution must begin with Ukrainians being clear that they will respect all minorities and provide autonomy options, combined with Russia ending its support for separatists… I think the western world could help by promising that Ukraine will not be offered NATO membership — at least not until such day that Moscow itself would approve that membership," O'Hanlon, who is also a co-director with the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, told RIA Novosti, in response to a question about the measures needed for peace in Ukraine.

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An armed conflict started in eastern Ukraine in mid-April, when Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters there, which led to a desperate humanitarian situation in the region.

"There may also need to be a pathway towards possible Ukrainian membership in the EU eventually, even if Moscow has reservations about such an idea," he continued.

Western countries have repeatedly accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs and backing independence supporters, though none of the statements were supported with any evidence. Russia has repeatedly denied its role in the inner Ukrainian conflict.

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O'Hanlon also stated that there is "no reason to give up on Ukrainians now", despite the rise of radicalism and extremism in the country.

Asked about the roots of the current crisis in Ukraine, the expert primarily highlighted poor Ukrainian governance over the past 20 years. "Russian revanchism and a desire for a sphere of influence near its own borders, combined with the effects of NATO expansion on the Russian political psyche" were named as other triggers.

The conflicting sides agreed on a ceasefire at a meeting of the so-called Contact Group on Ukraine held in Minsk on September 5. Another meeting of the Contact Group on September 19 resulted in a memorandum, specifying the implementation of the ceasefire. Since the establishment of the truce, the sides have accused each other of numerous violations.

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