The Invasion of Ukraine as a European War

2023/05/22

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia that began on February 24, 2022, was a shock. In the 21st century, such a blatant war of aggression between nations has occurred.

In Japan as well, television news and information programs became dominated by the invasion of Ukraine. For a while, I found myself in an unusual situation, appearing on multiple TV shows in a single day. Even after that, interest has persisted, albeit with some fluctuations. To be honest, this was a surprise.

It is self-evident that this war is "Putin's war" and "Russia's war." It is a war that would not have happened if they had not started it. Therefore, questions such as "What is Putin thinking?" and "What is Russia's next move?" are important. However, can we understand the meaning and the full picture of this war through those questions alone?

My own expertise lies in European international relations and security, including NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the alliance between the U.S. and Europe. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of questions from the media are about Russia. I cannot count how many times I have told them, "Russia is not my specialty."

When Russia illegally and unilaterally annexed Crimea in Ukraine in 2014, about eight years before the current war, public debate was limited to analysis of Russia. Based on that experience, I decided this time to persistently share a European perspective.

The title of the book, "The Invasion of Ukraine as a European War," reflects these thoughts. If it had been a short-term conflict where Russia won in a few days as initially expected, it would have ended as Putin's or Russia's war. However, Ukraine's resistance succeeded, and with unprecedented support from the international community, centered on NATO countries and including Japan, Ukraine is surviving. And through this war, Europe has changed.

The need to look at Europe as a whole has increased. We must not let the discussion end with Russia alone. For Russia, I would like to defer to works such as Yu Koizumi's "The Ukraine War" (Chikuma Shinsho, 2022). I hope for a division of labor where, by picking up my book as well, readers can get closer to the full picture, including Europe.

The Invasion of Ukraine as a European War

Michito Tsuruoka

Shincho Sensho

288 pages, 1,815 yen (including tax)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.