Current issue – UA: Ukraine Analytica

0

UKRAINE’S EU ACCESSION IN
WARTIME: PHASED INTEGRATION,
SECURITY IMPLICATIONS,
AND EU READINESS

Russia’s full-scale invasion has turned Ukraine’s EU accession into a test case for enlargement under wartime conditions. This article argues that Ukraine is shifting its accession towards a gradual model, in which sectoral integration ― including in security and defence ― advances alongside reforms rather than following full stabilisation. It shows how instruments such as…

0

MUNICIPAL READINESS FOR
EU CLIMATE ACTION IN WARTIME
UKRAINE

Ukraine’s recovery and EU integration are unfolding amid conditions of war, placing Ukrainian municipalities at the centre of implementing climate and reconstruction policies. This article examines municipal readiness for EU-funded climate initiatives, drawing on evidence from the Horizon Europe–funded project Ukraine towards Carbon Neutrality. The analysis highlights how cities continue to advance climate strategies, develop…

0

CONTAINMENT THROUGH ENLARGEMENT

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 highlighted the mistakes of post-Cold War western policy towards Russia and other post-Soviet states, which contributed to an environment conducive to Russian aggression, and culminated in the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. This paper argues that the current geopolitical environment necessitates a return to…

0

THE IMPERFECT ACCESSION: ROMANIA
AND BULGARIA AS PRECEDENTS
FOR UKRAINE’S EARLY ENTRY

The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU in 2007 was driven by geopolitical priorities that took precedence over a strictly merit-based process. In a similar vein, Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status in 2022 amidst the ongoing Russian aggression, a threat which made the euro-integration process less predictable. This situation highlights the…

0

ENLARGEMENT UNDER FIRE: HOW UKRAINE’S CANDIDACY IS REWIRING EU INTEGRATION AND INTERNAL REFORM

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has turned European Union enlargement from a slow technocratic process into a central instrument of European security. This article argues that Ukraine’s candidacy is pushing the union beyond the classic linear accession model towards a staged integration process, in which security cooperation, sectoral economic access, reconstruction support and governance conditionality…

0

UKRAINE’S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION POLICY IN PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Ukraine continues to fulfil its European commitments in terms of the protection of national minorities, combating discrimination, racism and xenophobia, through active international engagement and systematic cooperation with EU institutions. Steps have been taken to systematically implement European standards concerning the rights of national minorities. Measures were implemented to advance the Roadmap on the Role…

0

PLEBISCITE ENGINEERING AND AUTOCRATISATION IN THE POST-SOVIET REGION

It is widely recognised that top-down constitutional referendums in post-Soviet states reinforce the president’s power, at the expense of other branches of government. This article examines referendum engineering as a factor that undermines the balance of power, establishes a constitutional basis for long-lasting autocracies, and promotes authoritarian learning. It argues that the success of such…

0

WHY DEMOCRACIES MUST LEARN FROM AUTOCRACIES TO WIN

The real danger for democracies today is not based on autocracies becoming stronger, but from their reactive posture, slow consensus-building, and failure to communicate clearly and timely with their citizens. Autocracies exploit these weaknesses by shaping narratives and spreading their influence, creating an appearance of greater strength and unity. Yet the core issue is not…

0

REBUILDING THE RULES-BASED ORDER: HOW DEMOCRACIES SHOULD RESPOND

This article examines the deepening crisis of the international rules-based order, amid the resurgence of authoritarian regimes and the weakening of multilateral institutions. It investigates the ideological foundations and structural changes in modern autocracy, the internal decline of democratic governance, and the limited enforcement power of international law. Using Ukraine’s experience as a case study,…

0

RIGHT-WING POLITICIANS AND THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: BETWEEN POPULISM AND NATIONAL INTERESTS

The response towards Russian aggression against Ukraine and further European involvement has presented the whole spectrum of reactions from right-wing politicians. In this article, we will try to answer what determines the choices of right-wing parties in their foreign policy agenda, and, in particular, regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war and when populism prevails over national interests,…