Donbas Conflict: How Russia’s Trojan Horse Failed and Forced Moscow to Alter Its Strategy

Abstract

ABSTRACT The article deals with Russia’s strategic approach to the frozen conflict in Donbas and the two de facto states it generated, which differs from Russia’s previous practices. It argues that the “Trojan Horse strategy” was tailored explicitly to Donbas due to the second-generation nature of the conflict which was driven by Moscow’s interests in the confrontation with the West. However, when the strategy failed and created a stalemate, Russia had to adjust it. This resulted in Moscow’s recognition of the two people’s republics in the Donbas as independent, followed by an outright invasion of the rest of Ukraine.