In March and April 2021, Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to deploy thousands of people and equipment along its border with Ukraine and in Crimea, the greatest mobilization since the 2014 invasion of Crimea. This caused a crisis and invasion fears. Satellite photography indicated armour, missiles, and heavy weapons. The forces were largely evacuated by June 2021, but in October and November 2021, over 100,000 Russian troops massed around Ukraine on three sides. The 2014 Russo-Ukrainian War and the War in Donbas caused the problem. In December 2021, Russia advanced two draft treaties containing "security guarantees," including a legally binding promise that Ukraine would not join NATO and a reduction in NATO troops and military hardware in Eastern Europe, and threatened an unspecified military response if those demands were not met in full. NATO rejected these recommendations, and the US threatened Russia with "swift and punishing" economic consequences if it invaded Ukraine further. Many observers called it Europe's worst crisis since the Cold War. On February 21, 2022, Russia recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as separate republics and sent soldiers to Donbas, a move viewed as Russia's departure from the Minsk Protocol. The breakaway republics were recognized inside their Ukrainian oblasts, which stretch beyond the line of contact. Putin declared the Minsk accords invalid on February 22. The Federation Council authorised military force the same day. On February 24, Putin declared a "special military operation" in the Donbas and a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on March 1.

In the Russia-Ukraine war, attention has been focused on the "Special Military Operation" This book argues that there are many other special operations, in various other arenas in the world, that deserve equal and urgent attention. Connecting special military operations to what it calls special economic operations, special cultural operations, special technological operations, special sexual operations and special political operations, the book argues that special operations are not exclusive. AIso drawing on topical debates about technoscience, the book critically examines invasive technologies in relation to bodily autonomy, integrity and privacy, and it urges scholars and thinkers to compare these invasive technological operations to invasive special military operations. The book grapples with the future of humanity in a world where the human is decentred even as the world is witnessing the proliferation of resource wars. The book is relevant for scholars in anthropology, sociology, politics, government studies, international relations, history, media studies, science and technology studies and disaster management.

The Economics of Russia’s War in Ukraine provides a thorough analysis of the Russo-Ukrainian war, tracing its historical roots and exploring its multifaceted dimensions. This book emphasizes economic, geopolitical, and humanitarian impacts, highlighting Ukraine’s resilience amid challenges. At the same time, this study examines the EU’s dynamic responses to economic crises and energy transition, the consequences of the war on global trade dynamics, and the significant influence of geopolitical events on financial markets. It underscores the EU’s commitment to aiding Ukraine, enhancing its security, and increasing defence spending in response to evolving geopolitical complexities. The impact of the invasion on financial markets and the vulnerabilities of the banking sector are closely examined, highlighting the complex relationship between geopolitics and the global economy. Findings suggest that the priorities for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine include addressing human capital and demographics, employment opportunities, environmental protection, infrastructure and housing reconstruction, security and mine clearance, waste recycling, agriculture and food security, digital transformation, social protection and healthcare, and education and research. This book therefore argues that a comprehensive, integrated approach with international support is crucial for Ukraine’s recovery and sustainable economic growth. The Economics of Russia’s War in Ukraine will be useful for scholars, students, professionals, policy makers, all interested in economics, international relations, security, and global studies, as well as all those wishing to have a thorough and clear understanding of the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and its influence on Europe.

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, giving rise to the deadliest conflict on European soil since the Second World War. How could this happen in twenty-first-century Europe? Why did Putin decide to escalate Russia’s war against Ukraine, a war which began with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014? In this timely book, Gwendolyn Sasse analyses the background to this war and examines the factors that led to Putin’s fateful decision. She retraces the history of Ukraine’s struggle for independence from Russia and shows how democratic developments in Ukraine had become a risk for Russia’s political system. She also shows that ambiguous Western policy towards Russia encouraged elites in the Kremlin to think that they had more room for action than they did. The result is a brilliant analysis of the background to the war, a concise account of the course of the war itself and a timely reflection on what its consequences will be – for Ukraine, for Russia and for the West. An indispensable book for anyone who wants to understand the most dangerous conflict of our time.

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. Following the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution, Russia annexed Crimea, and Russian-backed paramilitaries seized part of the Donbas region of south-eastern Ukraine, which consists of Lugansk and Donetsk oblasts, sparking a regional war. In March 2021, Russia began a large military build-up along its border with Ukraine, eventually amassing up to 190,000 troops and their equipment. Despite the build-up, denials of plans to invade or attack Ukraine were issued by various Russian government officials up to the day before the invasion. On 21 February 2022, Russia recognized the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic, two self-proclaimed breakaway quasi-states in the Donbas. The next day, the Federation Council of Russia authorized the use of military force and Russian troops entered both territories. This book tries to shed light on the causes which led to this war. It presents arguments of both sides carried through the words of presidents Putin and Zelenskyy. This edition includes as well the book about the historical background of the conflict and the military actions during the war. Content: The Speeches and Decisions of Vladimir Putin The Speeches and Decisions of Volodymyr Zelenskyy The Consequence: Russo-Ukrainian War

This book explores how Russia’s War on Ukraine has changed the global nuclear order. The Russian aggression against Ukraine questioned the values of the liberal regimes and systems upon which the global nuclear order is built. At the heart of this nuclear order lies the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which remains until today the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation regime. In this context, the book examines new challenges and threats to the global nuclear order. It discusses the deterioration of nuclear norms, as well as the increasing number of the states further challenging the NPT regime by attempts to develop nuclear weapons. The book further sheds light on a growing number of states trying to resolve their territorial claims using the nuclear coercion and the umbrella function of their nuclear arsenals. The authors present the loopholes in the existing arms control system and the arms trade, which became obvious in the course of the war, and analyze the further split between the supporters of the NPT and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Srutinizing the deepening polarization of the supporters and the opponents of nuclear weapons, the book includes a new debate about the competing narratives on nuclear deterrence and disarmament. Finally, the volume discusses the development and the increase of new missiles and disruptive technologies such as hypersonic missiles, drones, and artificial intelligence. This book will appeal to students and scholars of international relations and political science in general, and security studies, military and defense studies, peace and conflict studies, and foreign policy in particular, as well as policy-makers interested in a better understanding of nuclear deterrence, the global nuclear order, and the impact of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Russia's renewed invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022 marked the start of Europe's deadliest armed conflict in decades. After a steady buildup of military forces along Ukraine's borders since 2021, Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with Russian ground forces attacking from multiple directions. This book addresses Russian and Ukrainian military and intelligence aspects of the war. It provides an overview of the conflict, including the run-up to the invasion, the performance and conduct of the Russian and Ukrainian militaries, possible Russian intentions, and recent developments on the ground. Prelude to Invasion: Military Buildup and Force Posture Initial Invasion Analysis of Russia and Ukraine's Initial Military Performance Russian Performance Ukrainian Performance Possible Russian Intentions and Expectations 9 March-May 2022 May-September 2022 Kherson Region Offensive Kharkiv Offensive War Crimes Outlook

The book offers a detailed analysis on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A book needs to be written on this to make sense, from a theoretical perspective, why this invasion has occurred and what the main actors are pursuing. The originality rests on testing main international relations theories: realism, liberalism and constructivism to the war that emerges with the practices and approaches during the Cold War to date from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Soviet Union (and now Russia) and Ukraine. The monograph commences with a historical overview of NATO and how it has engaged in expansionism policy to further contain Russia in contemporary international affairs with the accession of additional former Soviet states. This helps to explain the current Russian invasion of Ukraine that would attract great readership. The main argument presented rests on the pursuance of realist interests by NATO, Ukraine and Russia for containment, national security interests and as a response to the security dilemma respectively. This has served as the main catalyst of this conflict that has made diplomacy, international law and collective security measures problematic to implement.

In early 2014, sparked by an assault by their government on peaceful students, Ukrainians rose up against a deeply corrupt, Moscow-backed regime. Initially demonstrating under the banner of EU integration, the Maidan protesters proclaimed their right to a dignified existence; they learned to organize, to act collectively, to become a civil society. Most prominently, they established a new Ukrainian identity: territorial, inclusive, and present-focused with powerful mobilizing symbols. Driven by an urban “bourgeoisie” that rejected the hierarchies of industrial society in favor of a post-modern heterarchy, a previously passive post-Soviet country experienced a profound social revolution that generated new senses: “Dignity” and “fairness” became rallying cries for millions. Europe as the symbolic target of political aspiration gradually faded, but the impact (including on Europe) of Ukraine’s revolution remained. When Russia invaded—illegally annexing Crimea and then feeding continuous military conflict in the Donbas—, Ukrainians responded with a massive volunteer effort and touching patriotism. In the process, they transformed their country, the region, and indeed the world. This book provides a chronicle of Ukraine’s Maidan and Russia’s ongoing war, and puts forth an analysis of the Revolution of Dignity from the perspective of a participant observer.