The argument that NATO provoked Russia is an obvious example of Moscow’s narrative being regurgitated in mainstream western media. The truth is, however, that we did not take enough action. This is what ultimately encouraged Putin to act in such a brutal manner.

Russia's illegal and open war of aggression against a peaceful neighbouring country, which began on February 24, 2022, sealed the failure of German and EU policies towards Russia over the past decades. These policies had been based on the hope that Russia's increasingly obvious neo-imperial ambitions could be contained through a combination of intense diplomacy, multilateral agreements, and various business relationships. However, Russia's continuous military presence in Moldova since 1992, its unconcealed expansion into Georgia since 2008 and into Ukraine since 2014, and further misconduct around the world had already shown this approach to be failing.

On February 24th, at dawn, Putin started a war not only against Ukraine, but against the whole democratic world. This is the beginning of his end. The Ukrainian people are doing their part. Do yours. Sign this petition and take action!

The large scale invasion of independent Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, February 24th 2022 will forever be a turning point in European history. New Eastern Europe is providing a number of resources and background texts below which can be helpful in understanding how we got to this point.

On February 24 2022, the Russian army began a full scale attack against independent and free Ukraine.

The situation with Russian threats towards Ukraine once again illustrates the high level of instability in our region. While certainly security and geopolitics are right now at the top of the agenda, other types of instability also remain, including political, economic and social. In this issue, our authors help us get to the core of this instability and in some cases offer solutions for overcoming it.

The year 1989 was a breakthrough moment in history not only for Central Europe but also Europe as a whole and the world. Places such as Gate Number Two at the Gdańsk Shipyard, the Wenceslas Square in Prague as well as the reburial ceremony of Imre Nagy at the Heroes Square in Budapest and the fall of the Berlin Wall became symbols of Central European democratic revolutions that took place that year. The democratic transitions that these events started were the necessary steps which Central European countries had to take to join the European Union and NATO.

The country needs peace and prosperity. Not killing and destruction.

Putin’s regime is politicising history on a massive scale. The Russian leadership often exploits the past in order to pursue its foreign policy goals and promote its identity politics in the country.

New Eastern Europe would like to wish all of our readers, supporters, colleagues and friends a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday Season and Wonderful New Year.

Now available! Issue 6 (November-December) / 2021 which focuses on the current situation in the South Caucasus as well as the legacy of the collapse of the Soviet Union 30 years ago.

Now available! Issue 5/2021 of New Eastern Europe. This special issue aims to honour the plight of Belarusians whose democratic choice made in August 2020 was shamelessly snubbed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka.