The 44-state European Political Community (EPC), first convened in late 2022 to express unity and defiance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, meets again on 1 June. In this post STG Executive Director Fabrizio Tassinari explains how this embryonic organisation might acquire real value.

Why did Germany approve provision of German-made tanks for Ukraine’s defence only after months of pressure and downright bashing of Chancellor Scholz and his party, both at home and abroad? This torment, explains PhD researcher Marius Ghincea, stems from a contest over elementary foreign-policy principles, combined with the rhetorical coercion that is customary practice in democracies.

This response to John Mearsheimer’s recent lecture at the EUI delves into the validity of his central thesis, the quality of the evidence, the broader implications and the concept of academic social responsibility. It finds that Mearsheimer’s explanation of the war in Ukraine is unsatisfactory and rests on shaky empirical foundations.

There is no justification for the atrocities committed by Russia against the people of Ukraine. This does not stop scholars from trying to explain Putin’s decision to invade. John Mearsheimer’s recent lecture at the EUI was one such attempt – which fails on multiple counts, the authors argue.

Analysing a survey in five EU countries, Research Fellows Ioana-Elena Oana and Alexandru Moise find Hungarians and Poles to have the widest disagreement about EU membership for Ukraine and about ending energy dependence on Russia.

The EU’s Strategic Compass for Security and Defence was approved in the midst of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. In this assessment of the Compass, Visiting Fellow Michael Sanfey underlines the challenges of internal coordination and external cooperation, and regrets the lack of clarity on the EU’s peaceful raison d’être.

Russia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe will deprive the European Court of Human Rights of some of its funding, even as the caseload relating to Russia continues to grow. Law Researcher Helga Molbæk-Steensig explains the key role the Court could play in transitional justice following the war in Ukraine and calls on member states to up their contributions.

Agronomist and Research Fellow Michele Nori describes the likely effects of disrupted cereal exports from Russia and Ukraine, particularly for dependent regions in Africa and the Middle East. Local control of agricultural systems and food supplies, he argues, remains key for coping with growing uncertainties.

Sovereignty is one of the most important concepts in international relations, but its meaning is contested and not immutable. Against the backdrop of today’s military conflict in Ukraine, Robert Schuman Fellow Michael Sanfey explores the tensions between globalisation and sovereignty, and the UN’s ambiguous championing of the latter.

Following the invasion of Ukraine, there is much talk of ‘smart sanctions’ – those with a strong impact on Russia but a low cost for the EU. Visiting Schuman Fellow Daniel Gros argues that a tariff on imports of gas might be smartest sanction of all.