Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

The world woke up on 24 February 2022 to news of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine has since been plunged into a horrific war with no end in sight. As of late March, 10 million people are displaced including millions who have sought shelter in the EU.

How did we reach the point of war? What are the options for an EU unaccustomed to geopolitics now forced to answer Putin’s invasion?

Since the war began, we have set out to understand the unfolding events as a watershed moment for global and European politics. We focus on the regional context and impacts, the role of media and civil society, and the energy and environmental dimension, as well as its implications for the future of the European Union.

The war in Ukraine is a seismic shift in a region still shaped by the legacy of the Soviet era. As a conflict, it exposes how war, energy, and information are tied together as issues in this complex new geopolitical age.

In the coming weeks and months, the Green European Journal will continue to follow the fallout from the war and what it means for societies across Europe and around the world. We’ll be publishing on a weekly basis and collecting our Ukraine-related articles on this page. Sign up to our newsletter below to get the latest articles and interviews on the war in Ukraine in your inbox.

To go further on geopolitics, and especially on the relationship between geopolitics and climate and ecology, we recommend becoming a print subscriber and reading our latest edition Moving Targets: Geopolitics in a Warming World.

Articles in this focus

Editorial: The Invasion of Ukraine is a Wake-up Call

Solidarity with the Ukrainian people in the face of foreign invasion must guide the response.

EN
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Narratives Meet Reality

Russian propaganda has long relied on the kind of anti-imperialists always ready to cast doubt on Western narratives. Over the years, public debate has been deeply damaged by a corrosive configuration whereby doubt opened the way to lies and lies reinforced doubt. But with the war in Ukraine the machine started to spin too fast. A bunch of gifted writers helped it reach its point of implosion.

EN
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Ukraine’s Fightback Starts With the Truth

The determination, resilience, and flexibility displayed by ordinary people in Ukraine have defied expectations.

EN
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The Untold Story of the Food Crisis

Russia’s war on Ukraine marks a tipping point for a deeply unequal and flawed global food system.

ENITPT
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It’s Russia and Europe That Have a Problem With Ukraine

Ukraine’s fierce counter-attack against Russia is rooted in unique aspects of its society and culture.

EN
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Ukraine’s Economic Chains

Ukraine must finally break free from economic dependence on and exploitation by Russia.

ENIT
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Europe’s New Reality: Defence Spending After the Invasion

As Russia attempts to redraw Ukraine’s borders by force, defence spending is going up around Europe.

ENFR
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Should Europe Worry About Nuclear Escalation in Ukraine?

The ropes of deterrence are alarmingly short, and Putin may be willing to risk it all.

EN
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Where Are the Ukrainian Women?

Gendered narratives overlook the vital role women are playing in the resistance to the war.

EN
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Why Russia Finds Friends in Africa

Russia’s courtship of African nations since the Cold War era could be paying off.

EN
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The Environmental Cost of the War in Ukraine

A silent casualty of the indiscriminate Russian shelling of Ukraine is the environment, unleashing long-term threats to public health.

CZDEENESFRIT
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The Citizens Braving Putin’s Chokehold on Dissent

The invasion of Ukraine has been accompanied by a sharp crackdown on dissent among Russian civil society, which was already under intense pressure.

ENFR
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The War in Ukraine is Part of the Soviet Empire’s Unravelling

A reading of the war in Ukraine without historical context, geopolitical actors, and protests across the region misses the point.

ENFR
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Reporting Against the Odds: The Struggle to Keep Russia’s Independent Journalism Alive

As Vladimir Putin’s regime descends into dictatorship, Russia’s beleaguered independent media are fighting for survival.

EN
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“Sanctioning oil and gas will become critical”: What the War in Ukraine Means for the EU

The invasion of Ukraine looks set to mark a turning point for EU policy on energy, defence, and security.

ENITSQ
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The Crossroads Before Us: Neoimperialism or European Unity

Will neoimperialism dominate the 21st century or will a free, democratic and united Europe emerge?

ENSQ
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Russia’s Partnership with China is the Sign of a New World

Since Russia has been looking east to lessen its dependence on the West, how much will EU and US sanctions hurt?

ENSQ
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The Return of the Brezhnev Doctrine

The worldview of Putin’s Russia reveals a long-standing disregard for the sovereignty and self-determination of its neighbours.

ENPLSQ
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“This has the hallmarks of Afghanistan in 1979 or Iraq in 2003”

We spoke to a Russia expert about Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine and what comes next.

DEEN
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