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Ukraine war

June 26, 2026

Integration, identity and imperial legacies in the post-2022 Russian diaspora

Amir Alecperov Amir Alecperov argues that Russian emigration after 2022 has not produced a break with imperial thinking ­– it has exported it. From Central Asia to the Baltic states and Germany, a troubling pattern emerges: Russians abroad carry the same mentality that enabled the war. Host states have the right, and the tools, to respond Read more
June 19, 2026

How precision weapons make civilian suffering the point

Marius Bales Marius Bales and Max Mutschler argue that precision weapons do not protect civilians. Indeed, in autocratic systems, they can make civilian suffering more targeted. In eroding democracies such as Israel and the US, weakening checks on executive power may also loosen military restraint Read more
June 18, 2026

🧭 From enlargement to belonging: redefining EU membership

Vera Tika Recent contributions to this series have shown how enlargement has returned to the centre of European geopolitics. Vera Tika argues that the emerging model of gradual accession is transforming the meaning of EU membership from a binary status separating insiders from outsiders into a continuum of differentiated participation Read more
April 16, 2026

Why Europe’s support for war on Iran is backfiring 

Shamsoddin Shariati Europe’s support for the US-Israeli war on Iran, in the hope of securing American backing for Ukraine, is a strategic mistake, argues Shamsoddin Shariati. Rather than buying goodwill in Washington, European leaders are undermining their own security, credibility, and strategic autonomy  Read more
April 10, 2026

☢️ Europe is too late to play the nuclear game 

Olamide Samuel France’s new nuclear posture and Russia’s nuclear build-up in Belarus have made Europe feel vulnerable. But, argues Olamide Samuel, stronger nuclear rhetoric will not make Europe safer or more independent. Europe’s real task is to rebuild arms control, consultation, and dialogue before nuclear danger becomes harder to contain Read more
March 16, 2026

Why Russia is turning against Telegram

Anna Khan On 10 February 2026, Russia began throttling the instant-messaging service Telegram, later announcing its full blocking from 1 April. This, says Anna Khan, is no routine act of digital sovereignty. For years, Telegram was a central conduit for the Kremlin's propaganda. Restricting it signals not strength, but an attempt to contain the regime's decentralised nationalist momentum Read more
March 2, 2026

Why Russia now relies on war with Ukraine

Eban Raymond Since 2014, Russian society has become increasingly reliant on militaristic forms of self-expression. Eban Raymond argues that Russian national identity is beset by a lack of security and depends on defining itself in opposition to Ukraine, perpetuating armed aggression and making a durable peace a distant dream Read more
February 24, 2026

Democratic backsliding in Sweden amid militarisation

Felicia Linsér In 2023, amid accelerated militarisation, the Swedish government abruptly withdrew its financial support for domestic peace organisations. Felicia Linsér examines the impact on the peace movement of democratic backsliding, marginalisation in public debate, and a diminished relationship with political leadership Read more

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THE EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH
Advancing Political Science
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