Document Type : Research Paper

Abstract

Russia’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict was an attempt to react to the continuation of conflict in Ukraine in 2014 and the West interference in their internal affairs. Russia’s actions vis-à-vis Ukraine was considered by western powers as an insult of a revisionist power. Given the uncertainty over the behaviors of the actors in the Ukrainian quagmire, there is a need for a thorough analysis on the developments in this country. The fragility of social structure in Ukraine is in part to due the influence exerted on this country by key players in the international community. The primary tool for influencing matters is resorting to soft power resources. Due to its nature, which could be influenced by intangible factors such as culture, ideology, and its implementation, it is rather difficult to determine its efficacy. As an important player in the international arena, Russia attempted to use this power less than a decade ago in the territories on the western side of the Soviet Union, including Ukraine. For the United States and the European Union, Ukraine emanates critical strategic implications for their current and future foreign policy agendas. This paper describes the framework of the Ukrainian community through documentary and historical methods, and will answer the following question: How soft power tools employed by the West and Russia influence events/developments in Ukraine? This paper's hypothesis is that the fragility in the social structure of Ukraine has paved way for the intrusion of key players into the conflict.