Ukraine After the Revolution in 2014 : Changes and Challenges

Abstract

After the revolution of 2014 in Ukraine, high expectations for development and integration with the European Union have arisen both within and outside the country. The EU and other organisations have made great efforts to support reforms in the country. However, the level of implication of reforms was not at the expected level. This paper reviews the development of the rule of law in Ukraine since the revolution of 2014, with great support from external actors and attempts to answer the question: How Ukraine's rule of law developed since the Ukrainian Revolution in 2014 and what is the relationship of internal developments and external expectations? The Ukrainian development process had many difficulties in the implication of the reforms, with all the support provided in aids and with professional assistance from EU and other organisations. This paper conducts a case study analysis of the development of Ukraine in the rule of law and the role of external actors using capability trap theory framework. More specifically, this paper emphasises on the anti-corruption and judiciary reforms development in Ukraine. The results show that Ukraine's development potential was insufficient to implement the reforms that were carried out in the rule of law and the design and order of the reforms that were created with the assistance of the EU were questionable