Diplomat Says Lack of National Elite Hampered Ukraine’s Early Development
Oleh Shamshur believes that one of the main challenges in Ukraine’s development has been the absence of a national elite during the country’s early years of independence, which complicated the formation of clear, nationally oriented state policies.
When Ukraine gained its independence, it lacked a well-established national elite, which hindered the creation of a coherent foreign and domestic policy. Oleh Shamshur, a former Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, France, and UNESCO, spoke about this during a discussion commemorating Ukraine's independence. Shamshur highlighted that the "point of no return" was particularly challenging for Ukraine.
Comparing Ukraine to its Baltic neighbors, he noted that these countries had a consensus among their elites on foreign and domestic policy priorities, a situation Ukraine did not have at the time of its independence. Shamshur emphasized that the absence of a national elite was one of two key factors that made the path to development less arduous for these Baltic nations.
He further stated that the formation of a national elite in Ukraine gained significant momentum post-2014 and continues to evolve to the present day.
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