Eastern Europe

Recent publications

8th European Political Community Summit in Armenia YEREVAN, ARMENIA - MAY 4

Das Ende der Hegemonie

Russlands Einflussverlust im postsowjetischen Raum

Russlands Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine verändert die Machtbalance in der postsowjetischen Region. Russland verliert zunehmend an Einfluss auf Kosten der Länder der Regionen sowie externer Mächte und Staatenbündnisse.

Stefan Meister

12 Apr 2026 Peter Magyar waves the Hungarian flag after his speech during the TISZA party s election night event in Budapest.

What Péter Magyar means for Ukraine

András Rácz

Hungary’s elections could impact Ukraine’s EU future, end years of diplomatic obstruction, and open a new chapter in bilateral relations – as long as both sides overcome deep-rooted tensions.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addresses supporters from a stage near St. Anna Church in Yerevan, Armenia on January 6, 2026.

Armenia Before the Election

What Kind of Democracy Will Prevail?

Eviya Hovhannisyan

Stefan Meister

Armenia is often seen as a role model in the South Caucasus, especially when it comes to democratization. But this development is accompanied by a increasing personalization of power, weakened institutional autonomy, and a deeply polarized political landscape.

Montenegro President Jakov Milatovic (L) meets with EU Council President Antonio Costa (R) in Brussels, Belgium on October 16, 2025

EU Enlargement in Transition

Montenegro at the Frontline

Nikola Xaviereff

If Ukraine has restored urgency to enlargement, Montenegro will determine whether the European Union can still turn strategy into action.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of Moldova Maia Sandu hold a joint press conference following their meeting, Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 26, 2026.

Ukraine-Moldova Relations After 2022

Shift to Strategic Partnership

Anastasia Pociumban

Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, together with the second Trump presidency, has put an end to the previously existing rules-based international order. These developments continue to shape not only Ukraine but also the whole of Europe and have profound implications for Moldova–Ukraine relations in particular, as Ukraine is also impacting how the new order will look. In the current context, Ukraine and Moldova have put aside their previous differences and created a more strategic relationship between them, as well as greater interdependence.

The Fall of Gazprom

Sławomir Sierakowski

Eastern European energy-sector dynamics have become an accurate signal of broader macroeconomic trends. The rise of Poland’s Orlen and fall of Russia’s Gazprom offer a condensed history of modern Eastern Europe.