Ukraine Crisis Between Russia’s Expansion, US Promises, and Missing European Agenda
Journal: Balkan Research Journal
Year: 2025

The dissolution of the Soviet Union reshaped the geopolitical order of Eastern Europe and elevated Ukraine as a strategically pivotal state situated between Russia and the Euro-Atlantic sphere. This paper examines the Ukraine crisis as a manifestation of the re-emergence of classical geopolitics and great-power competition in Europe. It argues that while Russia has pursued a coherent strategic agenda aimed at maintaining influence in its near abroad, the European Union has struggled to formulate