First published 2015
Chrystia Freeland draws on her years as a Ukraine-based journalist and her deep family connections to the country to examine its ongoing struggle for sovereignty. Since 1991, Ukraine has worked to break free from Russian influence, but tensions exploded in 2014 when Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea and sparked conflict in eastern regions. Freeland argues that despite shared history, language, and culture between the two nations, Ukrainians remain determined to chart their own course toward Western integration. Through personal observation and reporting, she captures the defiant spirit of a people refusing to surrender their independence to their powerful northern neighbor. The book reveals how ordinary Ukrainians view their relationship with Russia and their aspirations for the future.
Genres: history, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism, russia
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-observation, reporting
Setting: Ukraine, Crimea, Russia
Period: 1991, 2014
19 pages · ebook · Brookings Institution Press