Conditions Are Ripe for Radical Groups to Grow in Ukraine

Ukraine's Pravy Sektor, or Right Sector, emerged last November when protests began against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich's decision to walk away from a partnership agreement with the European Union. The group's ultranationalist members disapprove of Russia's influence over Yanukovich, though they also oppose EU influence.

While not initially violent, the group notoriously clashed with Ukrainian authorities in January, using Molotov cocktails, bats and pistols in central Kiev. The group then clashed with security forces throughout the city. Groups such as Right Sector want a truly independent Ukraine — a reality unlikely to emerge any time soon, since Ukraine's geographic location makes it an inevitable focus of the struggle for influence between Russia and the West. 

If Kiev accepts an aid package from the European Union or the International Monetary Fund, the associated austerity measures will probably stoke nationalist passions — just as they have in Italy, Greece and elsewhere in Europe — feeding the growth of Right Sector and similar groups. Given Right Sector's proven willingness to use violence, and the fearlessness its members demonstrated in clashing with riot police, the group's actions and growth will be important to monitor.