IMAGE OF UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

The authors consider the question about the look of the most influential foreign analytic centers during Spring 2014 – Autumn 2015 at Ukraine. The studies are based on the English versions of the sites of those centers with regard for the rating “Go to Think Tank Index Report” of the Pennsylvania University. The extent and the intensity of the attention to Ukraine and the frames of its perception are analyzed.
It is shown that the themes related to Ukraine were widely presented in the agenda of the mentioned centers during Spring 2014 – Autumn 2015. The highest attention to Ukraine is manifested by the analytic centers of the USA and the Northern-Western Europe.
At the same time, the association with the EU was mentioned only in a quarter of materials concerning Ukraine. Moreover, it was not the basic theme, but rather a background. In this case, widely spread is the opinion that the West is responsible for the war in Ukraine, since Russia has attacked because of the approach of our country with the EU. The main focuses of the analytic centers in this period were the Russian-Ukrainian war and, to a less degree, the problems of macroeconomic stability and reformation of Ukraine. By the attention to the association, the leaders are American analytic centers such as the Woodrow Wilson International Center, Peterson Institute for International Economics, and RAND. In Europe by this indicator, the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs and CASE are in advance.
The special attention is given to the consideration of possibilities and risks from the association with the EU and to the recommendations of influential foreign analytic centers.