The Russia-Ukraine War and the Maidan in Ukraine

38 Pages Posted: 24 Oct 2022

Ivan Katchanovski

University of Ottawa

Abstract
This study examines the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 and the origins of the Russia-Ukraine
conflict in the political transition during the Maidan in Ukraine in February 2014. This transition
of power contributed to a start of the civil war in Donbas, Russian military interventions in
Crimea and Donbas, the Russian annexation of Crimea and an international conflict between
Russia and Ukraine and the West and Russia. This conflict escalated when Russia invaded
Ukraine in February 2022. The research question is as follow: What is the nature of the Russia-
Ukraine war and the political transition in Ukraine during the Maidan? This issue produced
divergent narratives of this war and the Maidan in scholarly studies, the media, and governments
in different countries. This paper uses political science theories of wars, mass protests, coups,
revolutions, and regime changes and empirical analysis to examine the nature of the Russia-
Ukraine war and the political transition in Ukraine during the Maidan. It analyzes videos and
interviews and statements of key political actors involved in this war and the power transition,
witness testimonies of various participants of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Maidan at the
Yanukovych state treason trial and the Maidan massacre trial in Ukraine, and media publications
in Ukrainian, Russian, and English. The study concludes with the analysis of the implications of
its findings for understanding the conflicts in Ukraine and over Ukraine and their resolution.