BOOK NOTES
A compilation of proceedings from 2000 conference in Ottawa
Towards a New Ukraine III - Geopolitical Imperatives of Ukraine: Regional Contexts, edited by Theofil Kis, Irena Makaryk, Natalie Mychajlyszyn, with Irena Bell. Ottawa: Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Ottawa, 2001. 178 pp. $14 (softcover).
The Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa has published a book titled "Towards a New Ukraine III - Geopolitical Imperatives of Ukraine: Regional Contexts," containing the proceedings of its conference on October 27-28, 2000, by the same name. (See The Weekly, December 17, 2000).
The conference, the third of its kind, considered regional issues facing Ukraine, including its bilateral relations with Russia and Poland, its strategic objective of rejoining Europe, as well as its foreign and security policy challenges.
The book is a compilation of 10 papers presented at the conference. The keynote address for example, was a paper by Prof. Stephen Shulman of Southern Illinois University, highlighting the need for an orientation of Ukraine's foreign policy toward both East and West for the nation-building process. According to Prof. Shulman, a European-oriented foreign policy would strengthen Ukraine's autonomy and an ethnic Ukrainian identity, while an Eastern-oriented policy would strengthen Ukraine's unity and reinforce Slavic identity.
The next four sections bear the following headings: "Ukraine-Russia Relations: Present and Future"; "Ukraine-Poland Relations: Present and Future"; "Ukraine's Strategic Objective 'Rejoining Europe,' and Europe's Policy Towards Ukraine"; and "Ukraine's Foreign and Security Policy Challenge." There is also an epilogue concerning the impact of the oligarchs on the future of Ukraine.
Each section presents a pair of papers written from opposing perspectives. For example, on the topic of Ukraine-Russia relations, Dr. Deborah Sanders, Joint Services Command and Staff College, United Kingdom, focused on the Ukrainian perspective, outlining three phases in Ukraine's policy toward Russia: 1991-1994 characterized as confrontational; 1994-1999 characterized by peaceful co-existence; and the current phase since 1999 as a return to confrontation. She further argues that a more active Western engagement of Ukraine and the stabilization of its economy could help avoid a future of distrust and pessimism.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mikhail Molchanov tackled the Russian perspective, examining security and foreign policy, economics and trade, and Russian minorities. He pointed to points of tension where Moscow was concerned regarding these matters, such as Ukraine's double-standard security and defense policy, its economic debt to Russia and its policy of Ukrainianization.
"Towards a New Ukraine III" can be purchased for $14 ($20 Canadian) including shipping. It can be ordered by mail, Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Ottawa, 559 King Edward Ave., P.O. Box 450, Station A, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5; by phone, (613) 562-5800, ext. 3692; by fax, (613) 562-5351; or by e-mail, [email protected].
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 24, 2002, No. 8, Vol. LXX
| Home Page |