Conflict among Ukraine’s Power Elites and the Rise of Oligarchy

This study examined the dynamics of state-capital relations in Ukraine, focusing on the conflict among elites. Using the oligarchy model, the study analyzed changes in Ukraine’s power structure from independence in 1991 to the establishment of the Zelensky regime in 2019. The result revealed a shift toward a more extreme form. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine set national goals to establish a sovereign state with a national identity and territorial consolidation. By pursuing these goals, Ukraine’s political elite actively engaged in and responded to the dynamics of political power and institutional transformation to preserve or further their own interests rather than advancing the nation’s well-being. Consequently, Ukraine’s national potential has been compromised, and the last three decades of its contemporary history have been marked by tragedy. In summary, Ukraine’s political landscape has increasingly succumbed to the economic interests of the ruling minority, fueling oligarchic conflicts and exacerbating social and regional divisions based on policy lines.