The Rise of Post-Soviet Europe
How the Ukrainian war inverted the power dynamics in the EU.
The Ukrainian war highlighted how the European Union is still divided into two parts:
- The Western block
- The post-Soviet block
While the former reacted with surprise and panic in the aftermath of the invasion, the latter reacted with calm and resignation.
The degree of difference between these two outlines how far apart the certainties regarding Russia’s intentions stood on each side, at least up until the 24th of February 2022.
The proactive role of the East in this crisis and the countless mistakes of the West have inversed the traditional leadership roles.
Power and credibility in the Union have been redistributed, which will strongly impact the EU’s internal functioning in the decades to come.
Here’s how.
Two realities
The Western block has been failing to understand Russia since the Empire became the Soviet Republic in 1917.
The popularity of communism in elections in Italy and France in the middle of the 20th century and the endorsement of the USSR by many artists and intellectuals (who did not actually live under Soviet…
