We at SEN have not been living under a rock for the last few months and have been watching events unfolding in the Ukraine. After heated protests during the summer in Turkey and Brazil, just to name a couple, our eyes have now turned to Eastern Europe. Wide cross-sections of the population in the Ukraine have been gathering and protesting since late November 2013. But what exactly are they about? We know that the first wave of protests was spurred by Ukraine President Yanukovych’s rejection of the association agreement with the European Union. However, who are the players and what are their interests? And what exactly is the salience of the far-right? What can the protests tell us about forms of Ukrainian nationalism? Below is a brief roundup of some of the most recent news on the Euromaiden protests as we attempt to uncover the variety of views and explanations of this recent phenomenon.
Continue reading →