Description
Book Synopsis On a February night in Kyiv in 2013, former president of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski turned to his friend Pat Cox, the former president of the European Parliament, and joked, They''ve got a lot of empty space on this square--an ideal location to put up statues of you and me. Over a year and a half, the two visited Ukraine 27 times, negotiating the release of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, which would allow Ukraine to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union.
The Cox-Kwasniewski mission was part of the EU''s final effort to save the Agreement and give millions of Ukrainians the hope of a European future. All the while, Russia was using a trade embargo to draw Ukraine into the Eurasian Union. After an intricate game of lies, bluffing and blackmail, Viktor Yanukovych backed out of closer relations with Europe. Feeling betrayed, Ukrainians took to the streets and a wave of civil unrest was born.
Trade ReviewMaciej Olchawa's Mission Ukraine provides an insightful and meticulous analysis of two decades of Aleksander Kwasniewski's role in the European integration of Ukraine. First, Kwasniewski played a key role in finding a peaceful solution to the political crisis during the Orange Revolution, where I had the privilege of being with him. Then, together with Pat Cox, he fostered Ukraine's European aspirations as the EU's special envoy. Mission Ukraine lures the reader backstage and offers a fast-paced narrative of a fascinating game of diplomatic and political intrigue."" - Javier Solana, Secretary General of NATO (1995-1999), EU's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy (1999-2009)
""Maciej Olchawa's excellent book expertly analyzes Putin Russia's role in growing East-West tensions and serves as an indispensable guide to the key geopolitical challenges facing Ukraine and its Western allies at a time of global uncertainty."" - Alexander J. Motyl, Rutgers University
""The histories of Poland and Ukraine have been closely intertwined for centuries. In 1917, both tried to shake off Russia's oppressive rule. Poland succeeded, Ukraine did not and remained under Moscow's rule until 1991. While Poland moved firmly to join the EU, Ukraine stumbled until the Revolution 2014 finally said no to Moscow and yes to Europe. This well written and cogently argued book is an anatomy of the Ukrainian revolution and a man who shared the Ukrainian aspirations and helped guide it towards Europe, Poland's former President Aleksander Kwasniewski."" - Michael Khodarkovsky, Loyola University Chicago
