Post-Communist Europe and Eurasia’s Path Dependencies in Times of War

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

Russian Federation (RF) “justification” of its war on Ukraine had its precedents (– e.g. the cyber-attack on Estonia, war ion Georgia, etc.). But the war is unprecedented. 2025 developments enhanced tensions between countries, among NATO and had broadened political cleavages within all ex-Communist states.
The purpose of the RT is to discuss the impacts of past and current political patterns on attitudes towards the war in Ukraine, on domestic and international political landscapes.
Provisional themes to be discussed are:
- What backgrounds shape the current responses to the war – geographic location, Soviet or Central-East European (CEE) post-WWII occupations and alliances, the differences between post-Communist political systems, Cold War propaganda-education patterns or hybrid influences from pro-Kremlin forces?
- Are the differences between post-Soviet and European (EU) political systems matter, what’s the role of authoritarian tendencies and (some resurrected) ex-Communist and new political parties in EU member states, and how they influence attitudes towards?
- What are the recent past intra-regional events and constellations that cause different attitudes to NATO and Russia – the ex-Yugoslav wars, Kosovo sovereignty, conflicts and tensions in the Caucasus and Central Asia?
- What the role of energy and resource-dependency, and of the economic integration with EU and/or Russia and China.
Themes mirror participants’ academic-research backgrounds. Historic and contemporary differences between European and FSU perspectives and interpretations challenge Post-WWII security constellations and leadership, including US and EU.
The RT moderator is Krassen Stanchev (SU), Edward P. Joseph (JHU), Tatiana Rizova (CNU), Kristian Kafozov (StJU) and Ben DeDominicis (organizer).

Sub Unit

• Politics/Law

Chair

• Krassen Stanchev, Sofia U (Bulgaria)

Roundtable Speakers

• Kristian Kafozov, New York U

• Tatiana Rizova, Christopher Newport U

• Krassen Stanchev, Sofia U (Bulgaria)