| Summary/Abstract |
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has caused a massive humanitarian crisis. As of this writing, thousands of people have lost their lives, and many more seem destined to die. Moreover, nearly 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled their country, a number that will grow considerably if the war continues. Beyond the human suffering and misery it entails, the conflict has shaken the foundations of Europe’s security order. Western governments have scrambled to ramp up their defensive expenditures, imposed severe economic and political sanctions on Russia, and upped their supply of weapons to Ukraine. The Kremlin, in turn, has shown no signs of backing down. On the contrary, the Putin government has issued thinly veiled nuclear threats and warned Western leaders not to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Though it is still too early to know how the conflict will end, it is already clear that Europe will not be the same after the war. How could this happen?
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