Publication

This brief examines how the military conflict in eastern Ukraine is affecting the implementation of political and economic reforms in the country. The author argues that on the one hand, as long as the conflict strengthens national consolidation and the understanding that only a reformed Ukraine may hope to endure, the war should drive the transformation. On the other hand, the author sees the conflict as a major impediment to reform as it is a drain on resources and tempts Kiev to blame its own inaction on the difficulties created by the conflict.