A Multiscalar Approach to the Geopolitical Division of Ukraine Focusing on the Russo-Ukrainian Relationship: How does the Dnieper Geopolitically Divide Ukraine?

Abstract

Ukraine has been geopolitically divided along the Dnieper: the pro-European Union west region versus the pro-Russia east. Such a geopolitical division has played a critical role in recent Russia-Ukraine relations and conflicts, including the 2014 Crimean Crisis, the Donbas War, and the Russo-Ukrainian War. This study casts a question as to why Ukraine shows a noticeable geopolitical division. Geographical distances or proximities do not provide a proper answer to that question; for example, eastern Ukraine was the spatial background of the spread of Ukrainian nationalism in the 19th century. In this respect, this study adopted the multiscalar approach to analyze various scalar factors and actors and their relations that influence the geographical division of Ukraine. The results of this study suggest that multiscalar factors and actors, including the change of Ukrainian territories and the scalar differences in the influence of Russia caused by the territorial change, the geographical scale of Ukrainian industry and economy, the state-building of Ukraine in the post-Soviet era, and neighboring states’ influences and diplomatic strata and their interrelations, The results of this study may provide significant contributions to an in-depth understanding of the geopolitical characteristics of Ukraine and international and geopolitical issues related to the country.