Nicolai Petro is Silvia-Chandley Professor of Peace and Nonviolence at the University of Rhode Island. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Ukraine from 2013–14, and is the editor of Ukraine in Crisis (Routledge, 2017).
The terms “pro-European” and “anti-European” no longer serve as useful reference points in Ukrainian politics—the real issue in this election was war or peace.
Can the referendum results be interpreted in a way that allows politicians in both Kiev and Crimea to save face?
Unless the country embraces the ideal of cultural pluralism within one nation, crises like this one will continue to erupt.
All parties involved share responsibility for the failure of negotiations and the escalation of violence in Ukraine.