The Armed Conflict in Eastern Ukraine: Exploring Competing Narratives

How do we understand the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine and what are its implications for Ukraine’s domestic politics as well as for stability in the region? The media, policymakers, and political analysts have used several competing narratives to explain the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine. This paper examines three competing narratives of the armed conflict. The first narrative focuses on domestic causes of the conflict; the second narrative examines the role of Russia in the insurgency; and the third narrative describes the conflict as a result of Western policies and interference.