A venit timpul „aterizării” la realitate

Abstract

Western countries have learned the hard way how to handle Putin’s assertive behaviour. Using clumsy deterrence policies towards Kremlin before the 24th of February invasion, the EU and NATO practically encouraged Putin to start a war that may turn suicidal for his own regime. This essay argues that the war in Ukraine is the latest symptom of Putin’s long-run strategy to revive the greatness of the former Soviet Empire. The material follows a process-tracing approach that emphasizes the key historical aspects starting from the Bolshevik Revolution and its consequences on today’s events. It concludes that the war in Ukraine will represent the dusk of Putin’s regime and the dawn of the new Euro-Atlantic centric future of the international system.