Index | Pre-Civil War Reichskommissariat Ukraine | Ukrainian Civil War | Post-Civil War Reichskommissariat Ukraine | Stus' Republic of Ukraine | Dziuba's Republic of Ukraine | Ohloblyn's Republic of Ukraine | Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic | Post-Civil War Ukrainian State | Klyachkivsky's Ukrainian State | Shukhevych's Ukrainian State | Stetsko's Ukrainian State
Vasyl Stus is a romantic and fierce anti-fascist. He knows that Germany will return and invade Ukraine, but Stus offers to go down fighting. Stus reasons that a united, anti-Nazi front is the only chance Ukraine has to surviving as an independent Republic and they must prepare quickly, which will start once he's elected. Compared to the Spivavtory's shameless collaboration with Germany and the Culturalists' lack of a strong foreign policy, United Struggle presents itself as the only chance for the Republic to survive.
In the meantime, Stus organizes a campaign to repair Ukraine from the civil war and decades of German oppression. The collaborators will be prosecuted in court for their crimes and a new program is rolled out, guaranteeing an extensive list of civil liberties and broadcasting this message to the public. To start building his anti-German coalition, Stus broadens recruitment to encompass all Ukrainians willing to fight the Nazis. This can include Roman Shukhevych and the moderate Banderites or the surviving U-SSR insurgents still waging a guerrilla war. Either side will be offered a truce and cease of all hostilities in exchange for their military contributions. The coalition takes its first action when it combats fascist sympathizers marching in the streets, undermining Oleksandr Ohloblyn's electoral campaign.
Despite the good news of United Struggle taking the lead in the polls, Stus confronts a new threat to the Republic: Tara Bulba-Borovets and the Polissian Guard. Though trusted allies against the Nazis, the Guard are not as friendly to parliamentary democracy as Stus is, where their unease is brewing concerns that they will intervene and end the project when they feel like it. These fears are confirmed when Stus is elected.
Many of his supporters cheer at their victory and the remaining collaborators are still being punished for their betrayal, but Borovets directly confronts Stus not actively suppressing the collaborators and fascists. Borovets argues that they pose too much of a threat to the Republic and approves of United Struggle militia members who burn the homes of even one-time collaborators who long defected to the UNRA. Stus condemns the attacks for fracturing the united front he's trying to build and counters that Borovets' proposed measures will inadvertently kill the democracy they're trying to build. Neither side can change the other's mind, so Borovets leaves with a warning that he'll do whatever it takes to purge Ukraine of all fascist influence. Alone, Stus is solemn, recognizing that his former ally has just replaced Ohloblyn as the new threat to Ukrainian democracy.
This route provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Some of United Struggle's soldiers are women, who previously fought in the civil war and still patrol the streets.
- Actually Pretty Funny: If the UPA are recruited, Borovets meets Shukhevych and comments that his new office is an upgrade from the foxholes during the civil war, quipping that he could add some lice to make it feel like the battlefield. Shukhevych dryly chuckles and admits that he has some wit.
- Alas, Poor Villain: A one-time UNC collaborator defected to the UNRA under the promise that it would be a better livelihood. This promise goes unfulfilled, as his opulent house gets ransacked instead and the collaborator can only desperately extinguish the fire to save what's left. For how inappropriately violent the soldiers are and the former collaborator's own shock at being betrayed, one can almost sympathize with the man, with Stus confronting Borovets about the attacks.
- The Alliance: Subverted: Stus wants to find allies in the upcoming fight with Germany, but his options are limited. Galicia will always be a point of contention with the Polish Home Guard; the partisans in Moskowien are not very strong; Belarus and the Baltics will firmly be in the Nazis hands; and Odessa and Transnistria are controlled by Romania and unwilling to join a losing fight.
- Dawn of an Era: In-universe, where United Struggle's political slogans talk about the end of German oppression and the start of a brighter future where Ukrainians can prosper and not fear malnutrition or suppression.
- Door Slam of Rage: Borovets fiercely argues with Stus that Spivavtor voters should have their rights taken away. When Stus opposes this, Borovets angrily leaves and punctuates this with a door slam.
- False Reassurance: A nameless soldier tries repeating Culturalist propaganda slogans to assure himself that they are the best option to guarantee Ukraine's survival. However, this fails to keep him ignorant of an upcoming German invasion and the Culturalist's lack of a plan for it, disillusioning his support for them. Given the remaining options between Spivavtory and United Struggle, the soldier goes with the latter.
- Foreshadowing: There are some early signs that Borovets isn't so committed to the idea of parliamentary democracy. As United Struggle's electoral victory looms, Stus sees his party's headquarters flooded with Borovets' military men, which makes him uncomfortable that Borovets will lose his patience easily and order a military coup that would ruin all of Stus' hard work. After United Struggle's election, Borovets officially usurps Ohloblyn's role as the big threat to Ukraine's democracy.
- Kangaroo Court: Invoked by the collaborators being prosecuted by the Republic, where they accuse the affair of being a show trial to sentence them to death. However, the prosecutors bring up strong evidence of their committed atrocities and their attempts to cover it up, demonstrating that the trial is bringing actual justice and the accusations are not baseless.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: United Struggle can offer amnesty to the remaining U-SSR partisans, sending a helicopter with a megaphone to announce this truce. Most of the partisans accept, knowing that their cause is lost and wanting three square meals a day above all else.
- Large Ham: A messenger spreads United Struggle's message through bombastic speeches to the towns he visits, denouncing the communists for letting Ukraine be conquered, the OUN for being fascist, and the Germans for oppressing the Ukrainians for decades. His rhetoric drives the crowds wild and his partner compliments his "flair for dramatics".
- Missing Steps Plan: Following his election, Stus delivers a speech that promises a united front against Germany and the tide of fascism. Stus never explains how this will be accomplished and he knows it, but Stus doesn't let his supporters know that.
- Mood Whiplash: Looking at United Struggle's rapid race up the polls, Stus feels satisfied by his work and assured of victory. However, the mood takes a quick downturn when he sees his headquarters flooded with Polissian Guardsmen, which raises concerns that they could turn on the democratic experiment if displeased and highlights how fragile his alliance with Borovets is.
- Oh, Crap!: When he sees a United Struggle mob armed with truncheons and pistols at his public rally, Ohloblyn subtly panics and leaves while he still can.
