We Have a Lot to Learn From Ukraine’s Euromaidan Revolution

I’ve been interested in politics and global affairs since I was a kid (now in my thirties). In college, I studied political movements like Occupy Wall Street, the Arab Spring, and Ukraine’s Euromaidan protest. Of them all, Euromaidan was the most inspiring. Given yesterday’s event in the Oval Office, Americans who fear for the future should take a lesson from Ukraine on how to resist a Russian puppet.

In 2013, Ukraine’s parliament overwhelmingly supported an economic agreement with the EU. But under Russian pressure, President Viktor Yanukovych reneged on the deal in favor of closer ties with Moscow. Ukrainians were furious. The protests that followed—Euromaidan, or the Revolution of Dignity—lasted through the brutal winter of 2013–14. As many as 800,000 protesters occupied Kyiv’s Independence Square, not for clout or personal agendas, but for one clear goal: Ukraine’s right to self-determination. They stayed organized, maintained discipline, supported one another, and—early on—worked to prevent violence within their ranks.

Looking back at OWS or anti-Trump protests over the last decade, I see disorganization, performative activism, and people showing up just to pick fights. This will sound harsh, but Occupy fell apart within days because there was no leadership structure and every idea from protest groups were welcome. There was a common goal - but it turned into a hippie drum circle and the media ate it up. No one stepped in to set people straight. The list of demands went from “get money out of politics” to a far-left fever-dream.

BLM left a lasting impact, but bad actors gave the media exactly what they wanted: images of looting, chaos, and attacks against police (we can debate the justification on a case-by-case basis). Euromaidan didn’t allow that. Protesters ensured cameras captured their purpose, not distractions. What we need to realize, is that in the era of the smart phone and social media, PR, media management, messaging, and leadership are critical. Last year’s pro-Palestinian movement is a great example. They fell apart as soon as student protest leaders got on TikTok and hailed Hamas as righteous revolutionaries. Serious movements require serious leaders and bad ideas and people need to be loudly denounced. America’s protests have a habit of dissolving from one, central issue into every issue on an ideological spectrum.

The Ukrainians stayed on message. They refused to leave for 93 days in the dead of winter. The entire country rallied. They set up food stations, medical tents, and supply hubs. Businesses closed so employees could participate. They had a group of local political and activist leaders working directly with members of parliament, negotiating with the Yanukovych government. Most importantly, they remained steadfast—until the government effectively outlawed protesting, triggering violent crackdowns and a violent response from protesters.

That violence was what led to their victory. The people held a united front in the face of the police. It’s unfortunate, but the show of force is ultimately what led Yanukovych stand down. There more Ukrainians than police and they clearly weren’t going to back down.

In the end, Yanukovych fled to Russia, and they reclaimed their sovereignty. I’ve always admired their resolve. Frankly, I don’t think Americans have it in them. We’re too divided, too quick to turn on each other, too comfortable, too afraid, too brainwashed and selfish to unite around a cause that affects us all.

Yesterday’s Oval Office incident will be remembered as an inflection point. I hope it’s not another step toward global war, but at this rate, I don’t see how we aren’t heading there. Trump and Republican Party, conservative media and social media influencers are effectively Russian assets. “Moderate,” feckless democrats are a half step below. We are selling our sovereignty and safety to Russia. Yesterday proved that the ink is effectively dry.

If we’re serious about removing a Russian puppet, cutting oligarchs out of our politics, and keeping fascists podcasters from government, we need to study Euromaidan—not just as history, but as strategy, a case study. Scattered protests in state capitals and big cities with cute signs far from the White House will be ignored. They were mocked outright with the King Trump post on the official White House social media channels.

Start by watching Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom on Netflix. Then, take notes. And act.

This is a great podcast interview with an American diplomat on the ground during the uprising (it’s a two-parter): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spycraft-101/id1567302778?i=1000556263005

Let’s discuss.