It is now a month since Russia first launched a series of missile attacks into Ukraine, its first move in what immediately became clear was the start of a full-scale attack on its western neighbour.
In the weeks since, the unfolding horror in Ukraine has not only shocked this continent but, in many respects, also facilitated a surprising coming together of often disparate European Union players who have found unity in their response to Russia’s aggression.
In this issue, we showcase a number of perspectives on the war in Ukraine. Sven Mikser, MEP and former Foreign Affairs Minister of Estonia, argues that Russia’s attack on Ukraine is Europe’s wake-up call to reflect on and start investing more in European defence. Meanwhile, in her op-ed, MEP and former Lithuanian Minister of Defence Rasa Juknevičienė rejects concerns that providing military support to Ukraine will escalate the conflict.
We also hear from Siegfried Mureşan, Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee, and from MEP Sergey Lagodinsky, who suggests too many EU leaders have been asleep at the wheel when it comes to recognising Vladimir Putin’s capacity for violence. Writing from Kyiv, media analyst Mariia Kriuchok gives us a view of the information war on the ground in Ukraine. Finally, sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko of the Institute of East European Studies, at Freie Universität reflects on how this war might finally bring about the end of the ‘post-Soviet condition’.
Our cover interview is with MEP Sandra Kalniete. A key player in Latvia’s independence movement and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kalniete tells us about the heightened relevance of her current work in Parliament, as rapporteur for the Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation.
Finally, for a change of pace, we also bring you a range of views on the Artificial Intelligence Act, some empowering words on both International Roma Day and International Autism Day, plus a breakdown of the EU’s latest directive on deforestation.