Bosnia in Limbo. Testimonies from the Drina River

analysis of visual records of protests in both countries, which consist of pictures taken by media reporters and activists as well as the author and his associate, provides evidence for this argument. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 discuss the possibilities for Ukraine’s development in the aftermath of military aggression by Russia, which is still ongoing in the eastern provinces. Underlining fragmented support for tougher sanctions within the European countries in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its involvement in the Donbas conflict, Oleinik argues that Europe’s dependence on Russian energy might play a key role in this outcome. In a way, Europe’s inability to form a united response against Russia proves his point that the Ukrainian people might need to rely on their own social, cultural and economic resources in building the country. Along this line, Oleinik surveys how Ukrainians view a number of concepts that he suggests correspond with different perceptions of power—such as human rights and honour—and assesses whether Ukrainian people might be able to overcome authoritarian culture while rebuilding the country. Yet, partly because Ukrainian territories have historically been under Russian rule—imperial and then Soviet—for such a long time, Ukrainians’ perceptions of these concepts are very close to the Russian way of thinking. For example, Oleinik’s findings indicate that in both countries power is closely associated with violence. While Ukrainians made efforts to resist this notion of power during the 2013–2014 mass protests, according to Oleinik, continued active efforts by forces other than established elites will still be required if Ukraine is to depart from the Russian path. Chapters 8 and 9 focus on internal solutions to the economic difficulties that Ukraine is currently facing. For a start, Oleinik argues, simply turning from Russia to the West for inspiration for economic policies to best serve national interests is not the answer. Instead, Ukrainian economists should try to start a national debate and focus on how to build the domestic market. Next, Oleinik suggests that Ukraine could strengthen its economy by pursuing temporary protectionist policies to allow national businesses to develop, while securing free access by national producers to the Western markets. His study of the timber industry is a case in point. Chapter 10 evaluates the potential of volunteer movement that emerged in 2013–2014 to take the lead in the process of nation-state building. As Oleinik remarks, over recent years, volunteer initiatives have earned the trust of the Ukrainian people (p. 365), while the ruling elite failed to make any significant changes. His analysis of survey data reveals a significant level of support among Ukrainian volunteers for a democratic independent Ukraine (pp. 393–95). Given all this, Oleinik argues that ‘the volunteer movement may well become a base for consolidation of the traditionally divided country’ (p. 406). Even though volunteer initiatives still need foreign assistance in building a nation-state, Oleinik concludes that the West should leave geopolitical considerations aside in lending a hand to Ukraine. Overall, this book presents a descriptive study of the current state of Ukraine, with a thorough analysis of a large amount of qualitative and quantitative data.