Ukraine's Revolution and the Challenges to Global Democracy

What You Need To Know:
✅ Donald Trump’s rise to the U.S. presidency on an ‘anti-establishment’ ticket and the recent success of radical political parties voicing an anti-E.U. sentiment are trends which run contrary to growing support by Ukrainians of further integration with the European bloc.

✅ On November 21, 2013, protesters congregated in Kyiv’s Independence Square demanding closer ties with Europe. After the violent crackdown on activists a week later, the uprising turned into a much larger anti-government movement against then-President Viktor Yanukovych. Hromadske discussion panel focuses on how Ukraine’s Revolution fits into the current challenges to democracy as we know it.

✅ Philosopher: ‘One of the main principles of liberalism is the freedom of speech...We should be able to justify our choice in a free discussion. It’s dangerous if we can’t. Silent voters can silently vote the evil... Not just in Ukraine but in the U.S. and Europe.’

✅ Fmr. Open University of Maidan Participant: ‘Russia’s so-called media war likes to blame Ukraine’s revolution for the war in Donbas. This is totally false because the war is a counter-revolution. The Russian side not only aimed the war at Ukraine but Europe itself.’

✅ Co-author of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement text: ‘The key change in Ukraine’s E.U. relations is not with trade, visa-free regimes or financial support. Of course, we make progress on all these. But from my perspective, most importantly, more European integration was our choice. Ukraine is now defending its own interests and is building its own story in the world’.

This video was originally published on Noveber 22th, 2016.

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Ukraine and Eastern Europe, Explained