Despite many predictions that Ukraine would suffer from separatist movements and ethnic conflict, this has not been the case. Kuzio attributes this peace to several factors. Moreover, the ethnic Russians in Ukraine have a territorial rather than ethnic identity. This is exacerbated by the fact that they tend to view the former USSR rather than the Russian Federation as their homeland. In Crimea between 1996 and 1998, the only separatist movement in Ukraine, collapsed.
Federalism has very few political supporters.
Kuzio also claimed that regionalism in Ukraine, which on the whole has been far too simplified in many analyses, shows no signs of leading to separatism. Foreign policy issues have also become less contentious among Ukrainian elites. According to Kuzio, the Kuchma presidency has largely followed in the footsteps of the Kravchuk administration. It has opposed political and military integration into the CIS and has continued to support bilateral economic cooperation. Kuzio also noted that Kravchuk in 1999 was squarely in the Kuchma re-election camp, illustrating the consensus between two politicians who were depicted in 1994 as holding polar opposite views on foreign policy.