The Russia-Ukraine conflict escalated as Russian president Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent and ordered the deployment of troops there.
In the wake of escalating crisis, here are five books that explain the conflict between the two neighboring countries
1. Ukraine and Russia: From Civilized Divorce to Uncivil War by Paul D’Anieri
Proceeding chronologically, this book shows how Ukraine’s separation from Russia in 1991, at the time called a ‘civilised divorce’, led to what many are now calling ‘a new Cold War’. Paul D’Anieri explains a lot about the two countries and their political development, and how their choices eventually led to the current confrontation.
2. Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know by by Serhy Yekelchyk
An essential reading for those wanting to understand the forces that have shaped contemporary politics between Russia and Ukraine, and the ways in which the events leading to the impeachment proceedings against firmer US President Donald Trump changed the Russia-Ukraine-US relationship. Consider this book an ABC of the current conflict.
3. Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament: A History by Yuri Kostenko
Kostenko presents an insider’s view on the issue of Ukraine’s nuclear disarmament and raises the question of whether the complete and immediate dismantlement of the country’s enormous nuclear arsenal was strategically the right decision, The author’s account of the negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the US reveals the pressure exerted upon Ukraine by its international partners.
4. Ukraine in Histories and Stories – Essays by Ukrainian Intellectuals, edited by Volodymyr Yermolenko
This book is a fascinating collection of texts by contemporary Ukrainian writers, historians, philosophers, political analysts and opinion leaders. The writers present a multi-faceted image of Ukrainian memory and reality: from the Holodomor to Maidan, from Russian aggression to cultural diversity.
5. The Orphanage: A Novel by Serhiy Zhadan
