University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

A European Ukraine: answering the membership question

Clemens, Lauren

Content Files
CLEMENS-THESIS-2022.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116260

Description

Title
A European Ukraine: answering the membership question
Author(s)
Clemens, Lauren
Issue Date
2022-07-18
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
  • Skalnik Leff, Carol
  • Larson, Jonathan
Department of Study
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Discipline
European Union Studies
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • Ukraine
  • EU
  • Russia
  • Cyprus
  • corruption
  • energy
  • democratic backsliding
Abstract
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has made significant strides in moving away from an increasingly authoritarian Russia. Despite efforts to remain in Russia’s sphere of influence by some Ukrainian leaders, the Ukrainian people have been successful in their demands for democracy and integration with Europe. Considering Ukraine’s progress in Europeanization, the potential for membership is becoming an increasingly pertinent question. In this thesis, I will determine if, or under what conditions, Ukraine can become a European Union (EU) member state. I aim to identify Ukraine’s barriers to European Union membership, and how significant and relevant those barriers are to the process. I will evaluate the accessions of previous member states to better understand what the EU has identified as problems and possible solutions. Overall, I find compelling evidence to support Ukraine’s possible membership in the EU, particularly during the dramatic changes of the war.
Graduation Semester
2022-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116260
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2022 Lauren Clemens

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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois