The article analyzes differences in the assessment of the causes of the conflict in eastern Ukraine among domestic and foreign researchers and political figures. Differences in estimates are obvious. In the global community, the position has been established in the coverage of the conflict, which clearly points to Russia’s direct involvement in the conflict. Many researchers see the real causes in Ukraine’s internal problems, related to domestic political instability and foreign policy, but not just as a result of Russia’s actions. The conflict in the East of Ukraine has become internationalized since the beginning of the growth of protest movements. The involvement of the EU, Russia and the United States in the conflict created conditions, where traditional peacekeeping mechanisms were almost impossible to use UN, EU, CIS — Organization of a collective agreement. Geopolitical essence of conflict in Ukraine and around the Ukrainian situation limited possible formats to resolve the conflict. OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and the so-called “Normandy format” became the only acceptable format. The author’s view that positive cooperation between the Russian Federation and the EU to resolve the conflict is not possible in the current situation. Russia and the EU use fundamentally different methods to resolve. They have a fundamentally different vision of the causes of the conflict, variously appear possible ways out of it. For Russia has the traditional role of an authoritative mediator, with traditional negotiating formats. In stabilizing conflicts in the post-Soviet space, this approach has already brought and is still asking for positive results. The EU has no experience in resolving post-soviet conflicts, seek to use its traditional economic impact mechanisms for mediator. For Russia, it is important to choose independent political and economic autonomy for the eastern territories of Ukraine. For the EU, only full integration of the territories into ukraine’s economic and political systems is acceptable, with a focus on cooperation with The European structures.