Environment in Times of War, Climate and Energy Challenges in the Post-Soviet Region, ISPI, Milano 2022.

The impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine has been devastating both politically and environmentally. On top of the environmental damage directly caused by military operations, the invasion has put an abrupt end to the EU-Russia “green cooperation”, which had previously raised many hopes. At the same time, it has also shifted international attention away from climate and environmental concerns, which are particularly acute in the post-Soviet region. This Report analyses some of the main climate change and environmental issues in the post-Soviet space, providing an initial assessment of the invasion’s impact. The bulk of the latest scholarly and policy production on these matters focuses on Russia — given the country’s geopolitical and energy relevance. However, this analysis finds that environmental disasters such as the desertification of the Aral Sea transcend state borders and require a broader approach both from an analytic and policy standpoint

MULTIPOLARITY AFTER UKRAINE: Old Wine in New Bottles?

One year since Russia’s invasion, the war in Ukraine rages on. At this time, Moscow has not achieved its objective of toppling the Ukrainian government, nor has it been able to conquer the entirety of the Donbass. Instead, its war of aggression has elicited strong reactions from the West. As this book goes to press, we hear of an incoming Russian offensive from the east, and of a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive in the southeast. Be as it may, the war drags on and its “fog” doesn’t allow us to shed light on who might come on top