War in Europe: Causes and consequences

The war in Ukraine keeps the world on edge for a year now. In order to understand the causes and consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the WZB in March 2022 launched this blog. It offers WZB researchers a platform for thoughts, analyses and research questions regarding the war in Ukraine.

Tetiana Kostiuchenko (links) und Carla Hornberg

Frederic Jage-Bowler

The ties of migrant networks

An interview with Ukrainian sociologist Tetiana Kostiuchenko about her research, resuming teaching online, and how to incorporate the ongoing war into the university curriculum.

To the interview

BrianAJackson / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Putin's Behavior and Game Theory

Using tools offered by game theory, WZB economists Daniele Caliari and Tilman Fries describe Putin’s behavior in the Ukraine war as a conflict of resolve.

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Evgenii Mitroshin / istock / Getty Images Plus

Reframing economic interdependency

The war in Ukraine revealed the EU’s strategic energy dependency on Russia and its vulnerability to authoritarian political pressure. Grzegorz Lechowski and Monika Köppl-Turyna discuss related challenges and possible steps towards a greater geopolitical resilience of the EU.

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Claudia Roth

“We have to make Ukrainian studies more visible”

Ukrainian sociologist Tamara Martsenyuk on her research on women in the Ukrainian armed forces, fleeing to Berlin from Kyiv during the Russian invasion, and what it means for her work.

Read the interview

A Test for Europe’s Unity

Russia's attack on Ukraine has sparked solidarity across Europe. When it comes to taking in refugees, Europe is acting with greater unity than ever before. It remains to be seen whether the EU's refugee policy will be able to meet its long-term challenges, says WZB research professor Yasemin Soysal in an input given at the WZB's "Social Science Perspectives on War" event.

David Ausserhofer

What if Russia wins?

The future of Ukraine is also the future of liberal democracy, writes WZB Director Ruud Koopmans. The West therefore has a strategic interest in supporting the country to the maximum of its ability.

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David Ausserhofer

An appeal against ignorance

Our researcher Agne Kajackaite was born in Lithuania when it was still part of the Soviet Union. When she wrote this very personal piece for our series, it was the 32nd anniversary of the day her home country declared independence from the Soviet Union.

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Martin Funck

Post Bellum: Four Scenarios

Nobody knows what the world will look like after the end of the war in Ukraine. At least four scenarios are conceivable, argues WZB Director Michael Zürn.

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AlxeyPnferov / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Discussion at WZB

In an online event on 15 March, leading researchers of the WZB Berlin shed light on the conflict and its implications from a social science perspective. Which factors led to the war and what role did Western countries play in it? What are the consequences for the world order? Which actions and policies are needed to tackle the situation?

WZB in the media

The New York Times, 6 September 2022
In Energy Crunch, Germany Turns Down Heat but Won’t Limit Autobahn Speeds

Deutsche Welle English, 25 August 2022
Tragic triangle: Is Putin destroying Ukraine, Belarus and Russia?

LSE Blog, 20 June 2022
Do Russians want to punish fellow citizens who oppose the war in Ukraine? Evidence from an online experiment

Full overview of press coverage