Battle for Ukraine

Renowned Russian director Andrey Konchalovsky analyzes how Ukraine, formerly part of the Soviet empire and now a large European country, is trying to escape from the close embrace of its former older brother, Russia, and not become one of America's satellites. This large-scale study lasted almost three years. It was attended by ex-president of Poland Alexander Kwasniewski, ex-president of Slovakia Rudolf Schuster, ex-president of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze, 7th UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, ex-prime minister of Russia Viktor Chernomyrdin, businessman Boris Berezovsky, as well as many Ukrainian, Russian and American historians, politicians and journalists. One of the main experts in the film is the second president of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma. The film "Battle for Ukraine" raises many questions. What are the cultural roots of the confrontation between the West and the East? Can a country located at the intersection of European and Russian interests be independent? What is the price of this independence? And since Andrei Konchalovsky is a Russian director, an important place in his research is the idea that Ukraine is not Russia, despite the common historical destiny. This is a painful conclusion both for Russia and for part of Ukrainian society. But only by accepting it, Russia will be able to stop living with the ghosts of the Cold War.