‘If I could turn back time’: Temporal security narratives, ontological disruption, and Germany’s <i>Zeitenwende</i>
Journal: European Journal of International Security
Year: 2025

Abstract The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, described by Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a Zeitenwende (turning point) triggered a fundamental rethinking of German foreign, security, and defence policy. This article conceptualises the invasion as a temporal shock to Germany’s ontological security. Building on the ‘temporal turn’ in International Relations, we argue that the war not only violated Ukraine’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, but it also disrupted a broader sense of ch