Turning Ukrainians into a separate nation
Turning Ukrainians into a separate nation

Summary/Abstract: Ukraine’s national identity was born out of historical events which impacted the regions in Ukraine diff erently. In western and central parts of Ukraine, the people tend to be more pro-Western, while in the eastern and southern parts of the country, the people are more pro-Russian. Th is diff erence emerged from two approaches to the Ukrainian identity. Th e pro-Western part of the country believes that they were a separate nation from the Russians and should break ties with Russia. Th e pro-Russian part believes that the Ukrainians and the Russians are the same nation or two brotherhood nations that should stand together against outside threats. Th is paper will analyze which key historical events were the roots of the Ukrainian national identity and where the diff erences between the regional approaches are laying. Th is diff erence between pro-Western and pro-Russian attitudes infl uenced the Ukrainian political landscape from its independence until 2014. After the Revolution of Dignity, the occupation of Crimea, and the war in Donbas, the political situation started to change towards more pro- Western policies. Th e invasion in 2022 could be the fi nal nail in the coffi n of the Ukrainian-Russian brotherhood, and it might erase the last diff erence between the two parts of Ukraine.

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