Ukraine and Russia: Two States, One Crisis

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ABSTRACTThis paper demonstrates that the international crisis in Ukraine is accompanied not just by a matching domestic Ukrainian crisis, but also one in Russia. Though the crisis in Ukraine is much more severe—including a civil war—the two crises have much in common: both are crises of oligarchic rule, economic dependence on resources and a crisis of social services. Within an overarching narrative of the development of the twin crisis and their interrelations, the article provides insights into the dynamics of these crises which are at considerable distance from the stereotypes peddled in liberal and even some left cultures in Ukraine, Russia as well as the West.