As the war in the Donbas drags on, President Petro Poroshenko faces the impossible task of stabilizing Ukraine while fighting Russia-backed forces in the east. Volunteer battalions step in, NATO trainers arrive, and a new Ukrainian army begins to take shape. But on the home front, the economy collapses, IMF loans bring austerity, and corruption remains a constant battle despite the creation of NABU.

Civil society and investigative journalists push back — exposing scandals like the Panama Papers — while activists risk everything to keep reform alive. Language and culture become acts of resistance, music and media embraceUkrainian identity, and the Orthodox Church divide deepens as Kyiv challenges Moscow’s spiritual influence. Meanwhile, everyday life at the front is marked by mud, trenches, and endurance.

By 2016, Ukraine is battered but moving forward — building a stronger army, reshaping its identity, and edging closer to Europe with EU integration and visa-free travel. This is the story of a country holding on, reforming under fire, and choosing its direction toward the West.

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