CONFLICT IN DONBAS AS A MANIFESTATION OF TRANSITIONAL SOCIETY CHALLENGES

Abstract

Political instability processes are particularly significant for transitional societies. The problem of political transformation is urgent for Ukraine as a nation in transition. The goal of this article is to study the conflict in Donbas as a manifestation of transitional society challenges and Ukraine’s move toward democratization. The utilized method is qualitative case study. Among the study results, one can mention that the current conflict in Donbas is a manifestation of transitional society challenges. The conflict in Donbas can be viewed as a confrontation related to post-Soviet political space transformation, in particular, democracy transit. The practice of «hybrid wars» is not a particularly new concept in the international conflicts dimension, yet it appears to be a significant challenge for transitional societies. The armed conflict in Donbas became a turning point in the identity development of Ukrainians as a society in transition. Ukraine needs to investigate and implement the most successful examples of previous conflicts’ resolution. One of the instruments that can assist in overcoming the challenges of democratic political and economic transition and respective conflict resolution is international organizations. Despite internal weaknesses of the latest years, the EU has been actively supporting Ukraine, specifically, in the conflict resolution efforts. The UN is another important platform for the conflict resolution efforts. Besides, the UN has traditionally been active in supporting transitional democracies. It can be concluded that the potential of international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations can be further utilized in order to search for reliable mediators, new valuable expertise and ideas’ exchange. Besides, while analyzing the topic of democracies in transition, one should look at the potential of civil society groups for establishing and sustaining peace