MAIDAN-II: RECAP

Dr. Valeria KorablyovaStanford, Visiting ScholarKyiv University, Associate Professor

HYBRID WAR WITH RUSSIA

Maidan 2.0 vs. ‘Russia Today’•Putin was not able to suppress Maidan, yet he’s got a revenge by overcoming its consequences and by setting the framework of its interpretation.•Here the ‘loop of democracy’ is important (Putin’ strategy is to play on the opponents’ weak points).

Maidan as a threat to a ‘tzar model’

‘Leaderism’ and patriarchal political culture

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…vs. participatory political culture

“Revolution of dignity” vs. “Ukrainian crisis’:1) No ‘Revolution of dignity’ (no values, no true beliefs, no agency, a frightening chaos of a small group of extremists, being paid for);2) Ukraine as a battlefield, a trophy (no agency) - it’s a confrontation between the USA/Western world vs. Russia/anti-Western world.2) “No-Ukraine” narrative (no entity), it’s Russia’s internal problem:•Appellation to the history;•Russian language as a marker of identity.

Rhetoric strategies:•“Whatabout’ism”: we’re defending not making aggression; mirror strategy;

•Schizophrenia in propaganda (different, often controversial narratives for various audiences).

Diverse rhetoric:•Universal claim: a “fascism threat”; the uncivilized essence (a chaotic revolt of an uncontrolled mob);•For the Western audience: defending liberal values (protecting the rights of Russian-speaking people);•For the European public: •anti-American, anti-capitalistic rhetoric;•For the Russian people: “the Great Russia is rising up the knees”, “a big revenge”;•For Ukrainians: “was it worth it?”

“Was it worth it?” frameworkA tricky question:Is Poroshenko (Yatsenyuk/new authorities) better?You’d had:•Crimea;•Peace;•Economical stability.So, at the end of the day:WAS IT WORTH IT?

An alternative framework• Maidan was a precedent of a popular consensus, ‘from bottom up’ democracy,

• a new national project unifying the most part of the country;

• a revolutionary strike (Walter Benjamin), questioning the very existing order and striving to establish a new law;

• A value-based and mostly constructive event.

Liberty is “the freedom of citizenship to contest the social contract” (Etienne Balibar). Co-citizenship.

Maidan-II legacy•egalitarianism and horizontal networks (a ‘society of volunteers’);•Constructive, non-violent character; •Unification and inclusion (multiethnical, polyconfessional);•Values above money: dignity, responsibility, solidarity;•The idea of Europe: recapitulation within the EU crisis.

What Ukraine lacks and needs:Externally:•Resources (media and weapon);•Recognition and support.Internally:•Unity (2 Ukrainians = 3 hetmans);•Consistency (corruption issue).

Yet, it was worth it! Otherwise, it’d be much worse.