Independent Ukraine in its most modern and sustained incarnation has just turned 30. But now that the celebrations are over, it’s important to pause and take stock.
What do we actually know about the real state of things beneath the opaque, yet distracting, surface of crude politics and still pervasive corruption? These are unpleasant factors, yet they overshadow the enduring resolute resistance to Russia’s aggression, ongoing complex systemic transformation and the evolving self-identification and aspirations of the state and its people.