Why Did the Russian Federation Annex the Crimean Peninsula and Invade the Donbas in the Eastern Ukraine 2014?
Abstract
The research discusses Russias aggression against Ukraine in 2014 and seeks to find the explanatory answer to this question: Why did the Russian Federation illegally annex the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and invade Donbas in 2014? The thesis studies and evaluates Russias hostilities toward Ukraine within the lenses of three hypothetical explanationsrealist, constructivist, and regime survivalin two case studies: 1) annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and 2) invasion of Ukraines Donbas regions. The study finds that despite both cases occurring sequentially, the causal factors that prompted Russia toward aggression in Crimea and Donbas are different. The thesis argues that material factors are important and stay in the background of Russias decisions in both cases. They were not necessarily the most significant aspect in the case of Crimeas annexation, but they were a factor in the case of Donbass invasion. However, cultural and ideational factors mattered most in both case studies. Besides, the research points out the importance of considering Russias internal domestic factors, which refer to the Kremlins regime survival. The latter has more explanatory power in the case of Crimeas annexation. Consequently, the understanding of Russias motives in both case studies provides important background for the further development of Ukraine-Russia relations and sheds light on the prospects of conflict termination between two states.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1126493
Entities
People
- Oleksandr Lavrynovskyi
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School