More Publications

Meet the Author | Michael Kimmage

In his new book 'Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability', Michael Kimmage frames Russia’s war against Ukraine as three overlapping conflicts and traces their origins in the post-Cold War period and the longer history of Russia’s relations with Ukraine, Europe and the US.

Spotlight on Ukraine 8

Between Wishful Thinking and Fatalism: The Role of Elite Divisions in Autocracies

by Adrían del Río 30/11/2022

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, there was discussion about an elite split in Russia that might lead to a collapse of the regime. Much of it turned out as wishful thinking, but comparative research shows that fatalism isn’t appropriate either.

ZOiS Spotlight 33/2022

Belarus’s Role in Russia’s War Against Ukraine

by Nadja Douglas 02/11/2022

The formation of a joint regional group of Russian and Belarusian armed forces in October has reignited discussions about a possible offensive by Belarus in Russia's war against Ukraine. But even if it does not come to that, as Russia's closest ally, Belarus is already paying a high price.

Meet the Author | Gwendolyn Sasse

In her book Russia’s War Against Ukraine (Russlands Krieg gegen die Ukraine), Gwendolyn Sasse explains the Russian invasion’s political and social context and the developments which preceded it and analyses the role that Ukraine plays for an increasingly authoritarian Russia.

ZOiS Spotlight 29/2022

Education Under Fire: The Ukrainian School System Under Occupation

by Tatiana Zhurzhenko 07/09/2022

As the new school year begins in Ukraine, hundreds of schools find themselves in occupied territories where the Russification of the school system is turning education into a battleground. The teachers who remain are under pressure from the occupiers. Some try to escape this influence through distance learning.

ZOiS Spotlight 28/2022

The Effect of War on Ukraine’s Values

by Iryna Kaplan 20/07/2022

The war in Ukraine is also a war between two value systems. While in Russia's narrative Western values pose a threat, Ukraine is increasingly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and has ratified the Istanbul Convention. However, this is also leading to tensions with conservative, religious forces in the country.

ZOiS Spotlight 26/2022

Ukraine’s Cultural Alignment With the West

by Alessandro Achilli 06/07/2022

In June, Ukraine passed a law banning the sale of books from Russia and Belarus. The focus on literature may be surprising in view of the war, but the country is taking a significant step away from Russia's colonial heritage towards its own Western-oriented culture.

ZOiS Spotlight 25/2022

Russia’s Programme of Educational Indoctrination in Ukraine’s Occupied Territories

by Allyson Edwards 29/06/2022

Young people play an important role in Russian propaganda. Since the beginning of the war, the Russian state has developed a comprehensive and overt educational programme in the areas under its control with the aim of teaching young Ukrainians a version of history that sees Ukraine as part of Russia.

ZOiS Spotlight 23/2022

Moscow is Trapped: Centre-regional Relations in Russia After the Invasion of Ukraine

by Irina Busygina 15/06/2022

Although Russia is a constitutional federation, its centre-regional relations are highly centralised politically. In times of crises and policy failures, blame is shifted to the regional authorities. With the economic sanctions, imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this tactic is unlikely to work.

ZOiS Spotlight 21/2022

The End of the Post-Soviet

by Claudia Eggart 01/06/2022

Soviet nostalgia is not uncommon within the populations in the countries of the former USSR – including Ukraine. That has changed since the Russian invasion: in Odesa, for example, there is talk of a turning point, with the emergence of a new Ukrainian national consciousness and the rejection of all things Russian.

ZOiS Spotlight 20/2022

Energy Headaches for the G7

by Margarita M. Balmaceda 25/05/2022

On 25–27 May, the G7 climate, energy, and environment ministers meet in Berlin. Here, too, the focus is on the Russian war against Ukraine. While in principle there is unity among G7 states about drastically reducing their energy dependence on Russia, important tensions simmer below the surface.

ZOiS Spotlight 19/2022

The War Divides: (Un)Equivocal Statements in the Russian and Ukrainian Rap Scene

by Aleksej Tikhonov 18/05/2022

As public figures, rap artists with Ukrainian roots have come under scrutiny since the outbreak of the war. Are they pro-Ukraine or pro-Russia, or have they remained silent? One thing is clear: making music for both a Ukrainian and a Russian audience is no longer possible.

ZOiS Spotlight 18/2022

War in Ukraine: What Do Young Poles Think?

by Piotr Goldstein Félix Krawatzek 11/05/2022

As Ukraine’s large neighbour, Poland has so far taken in the most Ukrainian refugees. A new ZOiS survey shows that many young Poles are in favour of protecting them. There is also support for weapons supplies. An overwhelming majority is, however, against direct military involvement.

ZOiS Spotlight 17/2022

Victory Day 2022: Memory at War

by Travis C. Frederick 04/05/2022

As a day to commemorate victory in the ‘Great Patriotic War’, 9 May is central to Russian identity and the understanding of the nation. The significance of the holiday has grown steadily over the course of Putin’s rule and has reached a new high point against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

ZOiS Spotlight 16/2022

Yevgenia Belorusets, Serhiy Zhadan, Andrey Kurkov: For many Ukrainian authors, writing literature has become impossible since the Russian invasion. Ukrainian literature organisations have called for a global boycott of Russian books. Russia’s literary scene is divided, however.

ZOiS Spotlight 15/2022

Russia’s Wars: Ukraine and Chechnya Compared

by James Hughes 20/04/2022

Vladimir Putin's rise to become Russia's most powerful leader began with the Second Chechen War in the 2000s. So far, Russian military strategy in Ukraine has largely followed the script of the Russian-Chechen conflict, and the crucial question is whether it will prove successful on this much larger scale.

ZOiS Spotlight 14/2022

Putin in Court?

by Florian Jeßberger 13/04/2022

By now there seems to be little doubt that Russian troops have committed crimes under international law in the war in Ukraine. What legal actions can be taken to hold the perpetrators – first and foremost the Russian president – to account and what are their chances of success?

ZOiS Spotlight 13/2022

Russian State Patriotism and Putinʼs Invasion of Ukraine

by Jussi Lassila 06/04/2022

Young people in Russia vacillate between apolitical conformism and Western-oriented individualism. Although patriotic education has a long tradition, critical attitudes towards its military dimension are increasing and a large-scale mobilisation in favour of the war in Ukraine seems unlikely.

ZOiS Spotlight 12/2022

The Ambiguous Impact of the War in Ukraine on Serbia’s Elections

by Florian Bieber 30/03/2022

Russia’s war against Ukraine has also cast a shadow over Serbia’s parliamentary and presidential elections in early April. While large sections of the population are pro-Russian, the incumbent president Aleksandar Vučić, as the most promising candidate, has not taken a clear position.

ZOiS Spotlight 11/2022

The Ideology Behind Russia’s War

by Katharina Bluhm 23/03/2022

Russia’s state ideology was long considered by many to be merely a propaganda tool in President Putin’s pragmatic power politics. However, Russia’s war in Ukraine does not fit into this picture. It is the endpoint in a lengthy process of ideological production.

ZOiS Spotlight 10/2022

Russia’s Slide Into International Isolation

by Michael Rochlitz 16/03/2022

The sanctions that have been imposed on Russia’s economy because of the war in Ukraine will have grave consequences. At the moment, neither the Russian government nor most Russian people seem to realise the extent of the looming economic catastrophe.

ZOiS Spotlight 9/2022

Everyday Decisions in the War in Ukraine

by Sabine von Löwis Irina Mützelburg 09/03/2022

What happens when a war leads to the collapse of the previously reliable structures of everyday life? What plans for the future can one still make in this situation? Should one stay or go? We look at the people in Ukraine who have been forced to take one existential decision after another since 24 February.

ZOiS Spotlight 8/2022

Political and Public Reactions to Putin’s War in Post-Soviet Countries

by Diana Bogishvili Tsypylma Darieva Beate Eschment Sabine von Löwis 02/03/2022

Many governments in post-Soviet states have not unequivocally condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Their political and economic dependence on Russia is too great. Public reactions to the war differ considerably: although thousands are protesting in some countries, protest is often not an option elsewhere.

ZOiS Spotlight 7/2022

The Russian Orthodox Church and the Military: Defenders of Sacred Borders

by Regina Elsner 23/02/2022

Relations between the Russian military and the Russian Orthodox Church have deepened in recent years. This helps to shape the narrative of a state that is under constant attack and has to defend itself accordingly. It leaves little room for a peace-making role for the Church.

ZOiS Publications on Russia's War Againts Ukraine

‘When it comes to the West’s efforts to deter Russia, the story is one of failure’

Is There a Russian Church in Ukraine?

Exploring the Uncertainty of Ukrainian Refugees

Dealing with the Russian Aggression against Ukraine through Art

Russophone Authors Two Years After Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine

Geographic Differences in Ukrainian Refugees’ European Experiences

Evacuation Decisions: Lessons from Russia’s War against Ukraine

The Uncertain Education of Ukrainian Refugee Children

The Pro-war Mobilisation of Germany’s Russian-speaking Communities

Lived Geopolitics: Grain Logistics Between the War and the Border

Flexible Solidarity: Polish and Hungarian Responses to Forced Migration

The Economic Effects of Russia’s War on Ukraine’s Internally Displaced Women

Ukrainian Activists in Germany: Feeling Positive Despite Daily Challenges

Russia’s Ethnic Minorities in the Struggle against Cultural Imperialism

China’s Peace Plan for Ukraine: Responsible Leadership?

The International Grain Trade and the War

The Puzzle of Ukrainian Resilience: Hidden Factors and Potential Risks

Ukraine: Humour as a Weapon of War

The Major Powers of the Global South and the War Against Ukraine

'There are 44 Million Zelenskys'

Between Wishful Thinking and Fatalism: The Role of Elite Divisions in Autocracies

Belarus’s Role in Russia’s War Against Ukraine

'The war did not begin only in February 2022'

Education Under Fire: The Ukrainian School System Under Occupation

The Effect of War on Ukraine’s Values

Ukraine’s Cultural Alignment With the West

Russia’s Programme of Educational Indoctrination in Ukraine’s Occupied Territories

Moscow is Trapped: Centre-regional Relations in Russia After the Invasion of Ukraine

The End of the Post-Soviet

Energy Headaches for the G7

The War Divides: (Un)Equivocal Statements in the Russian and Ukrainian Rap Scene

War in Ukraine: What Do Young Poles Think?

Victory Day 2022: Memory at War

Literature in War

Russia’s Wars: Ukraine and Chechnya Compared

Putin in Court?

Russian State Patriotism and Putinʼs Invasion of Ukraine

The Ambiguous Impact of the War in Ukraine on Serbia’s Elections

The Ideology Behind Russia’s War

Russia’s Slide Into International Isolation

Everyday Decisions in the War in Ukraine

Political and Public Reactions to Putin’s War in Post-Soviet Countries

The Russian Orthodox Church and the Military: Defenders of Sacred Borders