Fifteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, the current political standoff in Ukraine shows just how fragile democracy remains in the region.
More than a week after people went to the polls, the result of the election is still unclear and the country is locked in a showdown between the Moscow-backed prime minister and his pro-Western challenger.
While this crisis paralyzes the country, it also has the potential to spark dissent in Russia and other former states of the Soviet Union.
Guests:
Helen Womack, who is reporting from Ukraine for The Christian Science Monitor.
Roman Szporluk, professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University.
John Peet, Europe editor for The Economist. He joins us from The Economist’s studios in London.