Geopolitics of the War in Ukraine

Foreign Affairs Institute: Geopolitics of the War in Ukraine, Report June 2022 by Ioannis E. Kotoulas, Adjunct Lecturer in Geopolitics University of Athens, and Wolfgang Pusztai, Security & Policy Analyst Director, Perim Associates.

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30.06.2022

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has ended the "inter-war period" after the end of the Cold War abruptly. It has forced the west to change its priorities to face the renewed threat from the East. But this time, the world is much more complex than during the Cold War. Interdependencies are critical and new global actors pursue their own interests.

Dr. Ioannis E. Kotoulas from the University of Athens and Wolfgang Pusztai have written a detailed analysis "Geopolitics of the War in Ukraine" for the Foreign Affairs Institute (FAINST) in Athens, Greece. Among others, they shed light not only on the Ukrainian and Western point of view, but also on the standpoint of Russia and its background.

  • In Chapter 1 they discuss the "Background of the 2022 Invasion and the International Response".

  • Chapter 2 "Russian Revisionism and Ukraine" digs into the Russian way of thinking.

  • Chapter 3 explains "Russian Interests and Strategic Objectives" around the war in Ukraine, including why eastern Ukraine is economically very important for Moscow.

  • Chapter 4 "Geopolitical Impact of the Invasion" analyses the far-reaching geopolitical consequences of the war in Ukraine.

  • "Military and Political-Strategic Lessons of the War in Ukraine" are described in Chapter 5, including why the first offensive of the Russians failed.

  • In Chapter 6 the authors describe "Possible Military Scenarios" and analyze the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons.

  • Finally, Chapter 7 makes some concrete policy recommendations for the western leadership and draws conclusions.