Ukraine - Torn between East and West

Episode 3 of the ZDF doku series "In the shadow of Russia" with Dr. Hannes Meissner

Just over 30 years ago, the Soviet Union broke up and released 15 republics into independence, including neighboring Ukraine. It is a painful separation full of violence. The third part of the documentary series "In Russia's Shadow" is the portrait of Ukraine: a country that wants to stand independently at the side of the West and break free from Russia's shadow. In February 2022, Putin stops this process by force of arms and war. Russian President Putin also justifies his claim to power in Ukraine with the myth of brotherhood - a centuries-old bond that unites the countries. His argumentation: Ukraine lacks its own identity and he wants to free it from the negative influence of the West. The documentary questions these arguments and analyzes the causes of the conflict. It paints a portrait of a country that is striving towards the West and yet is always caught up in Russia's shadow. A country with many economic problems, oligarchs and corruption, but characterized by a strong civil society and national identity. ZDFinfo asks: Who is President Selenskyj, and who are his supporters? How is the war with Russia welding the population together? And is the country torn between a lack of support from the West and Putin's military force? Experts provide answers, supported by personal stories of Ukrainian citizens. (Text: ZDF, https://www.fernsehserien.de/im-schatten-russlands/episodenguide/0/52018#google_vignette)

German TV premiere: Wed 18.05.2022, 21:00-21:45 on ZDFinfo