The myth of the 'empty steppe':How Europe misimagines Ukraine
Journal: UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam)
Year: 2025

Too often, Ukraine is imagined as a vast empty steppe, devoid of its people. Some in the West therefore suggest that giving up some of this expanse in exchange for peace with Russia should not be too big of a deal. Olga Burlyuk, associate professor at the University of Amsterdam, argues that such readiness for land concessions is deeply rooted in the European imagination of Ukraine