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Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022 was called a watershed in postwar European history. The West sees Putin's Russia on the way to restoring the former Soviet Union. But Putin's increasingly aggressive stance was also a reaction to Western politics. The real possibility of a new security and peace order in Europe opening in the 1990s was not pursued. Instead, NATO was enlarged to the east. Now, a massive arms build-up is on the way. Using historical sources, international news media, representative surveys, and personal interviews with people in Ukraine, Max Haller shows that this war has not been predetermined and - following Kant - peace initiatives are possible even now. In these, the European Union should assume a leading role.
About the author
Max Haller, geb. 1947, forscht an der Österreichischen Akademie für Wissenschaften (Wien). Er war Soziologieprofessor in Graz und Gastprofessor an mehreren Universitäten in Europa, den USA sowie Afrika. Der Soziologe war Mitbegründer des »International Social Survey Programme« und der »European Sociological Association«.
Summary
Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022 was called a watershed in postwar European history. The West sees Putin’s Russia on the way to restoring the former Soviet Union. But Putin’s increasingly aggressive stance was also a reaction to Western politics. The real possibility of a new security and peace order in Europe opening in the 1990s was not pursued. Instead, NATO was enlarged to the east. Now, a massive arms build-up is on the way. Using historical sources, international news media, representative surveys, and personal interviews with people in Ukraine, Max Haller shows that this war has not been predetermined and – following Kant – peace initiatives are possible even now. In these, the European Union should assume a leading role.
