Geopolitically mapping Eastern Europe

Abstract

The relationships on the European continent and beyond have shifted dramatically following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This policy brief uses Clingendael’s geopolitical mapping methodology to provide an overview of not only the changes that have occurred among the three Eastern European countries considered at the core of this analysis - Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova - but also their relationships with the wider region and global powers, and the consequences of those shifts for regional dynamics. It visualises how February 2022 crystallised these countries’ positions vis-á-vis each other and other regional and global actors and discusses the ramifications of the geopolitical dynamics in Eastern Europe for the EU approach, providing several recommendations.

Disclaimer: The research for and production of this policy brief have been conducted within the PROGRESS research framework agreement. Responsibility for the contents and for the opinions expressed, rests solely with the authors and does not constitute, nor should be construed as, an endorsement by the Netherlands Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

About the authors

Marina Ohanjanyan is a Senior Research Fellow at Clingendael’s Security Unit, focusing mostly on the developments in and surrounding Russia and Eastern Europe. Marina’s main research interests are the political developments within the countries in the region and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding them, democratisation processes and authoritarian tendencies in the region, (frozen) regional conflicts and the broader infrastructure of international security. Marina has spent almost her entire professional life studying this region, working for the Dutch government as well as for non-governmental institutions. She holds an MA in Conflict studies from King’s College London.

Bart Visser is a Research Assistant at the Security Unit of the Clingendael Institute, specialized in Russia and Eastern Europe.

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