Mission statement
The region of Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus includes Russia as well as the six countries of the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, these newly independent states, while sharing many similar socio-political realities, adopted different geopolitical orientations. For the EaP states, this orientation was more often than not related to their security relations with Russia. The EU designed the EaP as a single policy framework to deal with these six countries, with membership perspectives initially off the table. However, this policy was reversed after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the EU has decided to grant candidate status to both Ukraine and Moldova (and a “European perspective” to Georgia). At the same time, Russia too has gone through several phases in its post-Soviet political development, including democratic reforms in the early 1990s followed by an authoritarian rollback starting in the late 2000s.
Given the region’s geographic proximity and deep connections to the EU, the IIP follows domestic political developments in Russia and the six EaP states as well as their own relations with one another and with the EU. We focus in particular on conflicts within and between countries in the region, including the war in Ukraine, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and efforts for normalization process, Georgia’s attempts to reclaim the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Transnistria conflict in Moldova, and the crackdown on civil society and political opposition by the regimes in Belarus and Russia. We aim to inform the broader public about developments in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood and the potential impacts on the EU by organizing events and conferences with experts from the region. We also aim to identify potential areas where the EU might play a constructive role in bringing about positive changes and contributing to conflict resolution efforts across the region.
Projects and activities
2024
December | Options for EU engagement in the South Caucasus: a reality check 🗞️
October 16 | EUROPE AND GEOPOLITICS - A CONTRADICTION? 🗞️
October 14 | Conference: Vienna Peace & Security Talks 2024 🗞️
March 7 | THE FOURTH REPUBLIC: THE TRANSFORMATION OF AZERBAIJANI IDENTITY 🗞️
February 15 | Is Azerbaijan interested in peace? 🗞️
January 3 | Nagorno-Karabakh: What’s Next for the Prospects to Return? 🗞️
January 3 | What May Happen in 2024 in Armenia – Azerbaijan Negotiations 🗞️
2023
December 19 | No silver bullet for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan 🗞️
December 15 | ENLARGEMENT: TOWARDS A NEW EU STRATEGY? 🗞️
November 27 | Conference: The EU’s Role in the South Caucasus: A Force for Peace?
November 9 | Ukraine and the Allies: Keeping the Firm Rock Unity and Solidarity 🗞️
October 30 | On the EU’s Frontline: Outcomes from Poland’s 2023 Parliamentary Elections 🎬
October 28 | THE ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC: A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION? 🗞️
October 17 | Ukraine and the European Union - A common Future? 🗞️
October 9 | Conference: Vienna Peace & Security Talks 2023
September 27 | Wie Österreich einen Kompromiss in Bergkarabach vorantreiben könnte 🗞️
September 26 | Waffenruhe in Berg-Karabach vereinbart 🎬
September 26 | Europa und die neue Welt(un)ordnung 🗞️
September 14 | Georgia - A bumpy Road towards the EU 🗞️
September 3-10 | IIP's Study Trip to the South Caucasus: Photo Report
September 4 | The BRICS Empowered? 🗞️
July 15 | The NATO summit in Vilnius - Robert E. Hunter in conversation with Heinz Gärtner 🎬
June 6 | The War in Ukraine and its Impact on Chechnya 🎬
June 1 | Conditions for Peace between Ukraine and Russia 🗞️
May 5 | IIP Talk: The OSCE in a time of war - Can the cooperative security be revitalized? 🎬
April 20 | Buchpräsentation: Edgar Morin - Von Krieg zu Krieg 🎬
April 5 | Heinz Gärtner für ServusTV "Selenskyj-Rede: Neutralität am Ende?" 🎬
March 30 | Fenkart zu Selenskyj-Rede: "Wir sind militärisch-neutral und nicht politisch" 🎬
March 20 | Der neue Ost-West-Konflikt 🗞️
March 15 | EU Accession and the “Ukraine War” 🗞️
February 20 | Europas Herausforderung - Ein Jahr Krieg gegen die Ukraine 🗞️
February 20 | 1 Jahr Krieg: Wie kommen wir zu Frieden 🗞️
January 3 | Krieg und Frieden 2023 🗞️
2022
December 1 | Komplizierter Weg zum Frieden 🗞️
November 11 | Where do the War in Ukraine and Sanctions against Russia lead? 🗞️
November 6 | The Ukraine War, European Peace, and Implications for the Korean Peninsula 🗞️
November 29 | Conference: The New Black Sea - How the War in Ukraine is Reshaping the Region
October 31 | The Situation of Russian Civil Society in Times of War 🎬
October 17 | Militarization for peace? How the West deals with the crisis in wartime Europe 🎬
October 12 | Russischer Soziologe Judin zur Kriegs-Eskalation - Ö1 Morgenjournal 🗞️
September 28 | Ukraine Krieg: Kein Ende in Sicht? 🗞️
September 2 | Russia’s Path to War 🗞️
August 31 | James Joyce, Nationalismus und die Ukraine 🗞️
August 8 | Ukraine War: A boost for European Transformation? 🗞️
July 13 | Europa und der Krieg 🗞️
July 13 | Stadpunkt: Neutralität als Option 🗞️
July 11 | Odesa Talks - The European Security Architecture and Russia🎬
July 11 | Odesa Talks - The European Union and its Neighbourhoods 🎬
July 11 | Odesa Talks - Understanding the Regional Context 🎬
July 11 | Odesa Talks - What Role for Civil Society in Conflict Zones? 🎬
July 6 | The Odesa Talks - The Russian Invasion of Ukraine and its Consequences 🎬
June 29 | Migration and Border Security in the EU: War in Ukraine, Gender, and Frontex 🎬
June 22 | Ukraine on its Way to the European Union: A Necessary but Risky Path 🗞️
June 22 | IIP Talk with Olena Halushka - EU Integration and Anti-corruption Measures in Ukraine 🎬
June 9 | Präsentation des Buches "Die Ukraine im Krieg – ist Frieden möglich?“ 🎬
May 31 | From Srebrenica to Bucha 🗞️
May 24 | Ukraine: A centuries-long struggle for independence and sovereignty 🎬
May 19 | Der Russland-Ukraine Krieg und ein neuer Kulturkampf 🗞️
May 11 | Russia’s war in Ukraine is about the West 🗞️
May 4 | Dem Frieden eine Chance - Der Menschheit eine Zukunft 🗞️
April 26 | Waffenstillstand in der Ukraine! 🗞️
April 25 | Greg Yudin on Russia’s war and political regime: ongoing developments 🗞️
April 11 | Russland-Experte Gärtner über Russland-Ukraine-Krieg 🎬
April 6 | Mit Russen Reden? 🗞️
March 24 | Robert Hunter on NATO and Russia 🎬
March 18 | Russia’s War on Ukraine: Is There a Way to Peace? 🗞️
March 16 | The war against Ukraine: Implications for Moldova 🎬
March 15 | The war against Ukraine: Implications for Georgia 🎬
March 14 | The war against Ukraine: An expert assessment from on the ground 🎬
March 8 | The Danger of a Single Story: From Ukraine to Western Balkans 🗞️
February 28 | An attack on Ukraine – An attack on the Western worldview 🗞️
February 28 | IIP Statement about the current war in Ukraine 🗞️
February 21 | Nahost-Experte Gärtner über den Ukraine-Konflikt 🎬
February 16 | USA-Ukraine-Konflikt: Heinz Gärtner im Interview 🎬
February 15 | Vision quest: How Europe should safeguard its security 🗞️
February 11 | Putins’s reactive escalation: How regime architecture affects Russian foreign policy 🗞️
February 8 | Die Ukraine und ihre vielen Fronten 🗞️
January 25 | Diplomacy is the only way to avoid a war with Russia 🗞️
January 24 | Hat die Demokratie verloren? 🗞️
January 21 | Peaceful Solution for Ukraine 🎬
January 18 | Escalation in Eastern Ukraine and Zelensky’s domestic challenges 🎬
January 10 | Why the notion ‘post-Soviet’ is obsolete, and not only for the Baltic states 🗞️
January 10 | UKRAINE - ARE WE ALLOWED TO DREAM? 🗞️
January 5 | 2022: Das Jahr der drei Kriege? 🗞️
2021
December 28 | New regionalism in Central Asia 🗞️
December 17 | From the Soviet Union to the Post-Soviet Space and Beyond 🗞️
December 15 | The Russian Political System: The Trap of the Empire's Legacy 🗞️
December 14 | Some thoughts on the “homo sovieticus”: is it a useful term? 🗞️
December 13 | WHAT DOES PUTIN WANT? 🗞️
December 13 | Thirty Years On - Is there still ‘post-Soviet’ space? 🗞️
November | THIRTY YEARS ON: IS THERE STILL A POST-SOVIET SPACE?
September 15 | THE NAGORNO KARABACH CONFLICT 🗞️
August 24 | Russian parliamentary elections: Continuation of the previous trend 🗞️
August 11 | Nord Stream 2 – A Contested Pipeline 🗞️
July 8 | Snap elections in Moldova: what is at stake? 🗞️
June 24 | Sanctioning Belarus: Yes, no, or does it matter? 🗞️
May 24 | Ukraine: What happened to the bridge-building efforts of President Zelensky? 🗞️
May 18 | Escalation in Eastern Ukraine and Zelensky's Domestic Challenge 🎬
March 19 | EU-RUSSIA: HOW TO DEAL WITH EACH OTHER? 🎬
March 16 | EU SANCTIONS AND RUSSIA 🗞️
March 4 | Belarus: Welche Chance hat die Protestbewegung? ORF-Podcast 🎬
February 22 | Actions and Reactions: Political Crisis in Belarus as Seen from Brussels and Moscow 🎬
February 5 | To the Day of Solidarity with Belarus 🗞️
January 25 | Actions and Reactions: Political Crisis in Belarus as Seen from Brussels and Moscow 🗞️
January 11 | Russland und die Revolution in Belarus 🗞️
January 11 | Können Panzer den Frieden bringen? 🗞️
2020
November 11 | Belarus, Russia, Ukraine: Between the common past and an uncertain future 🎬
November 11 | Political crisis in Belarus: Searching for light at the end of the tunnel 🗞️
October 19 | War in the Caucasus: The Moscow Deal, the continuous fighting and the role of the OSCE 🗞️
October 13 | War in the Caucasus - Karabagh conflict: Why war? 🗞️
October 5 | War in the Caucasus: From a Local Conflict to a Regional War 🗞️
October 2 | War in the Caucasus: A Perspective from Armenia 🗞️
September 30 | War in the Caucasus: Kamikadzedrohnen über dem Kaukasus 🗞️
September 15 | Weitere Sanktionen gegen Russland - Stopp für Nord Stream 2? 🗞️
August 21 | Belarus: Ongoing developments after the presidential elections 🎬
August 14 | Belarus after Presidential Elections: Campaign, Results and Protest Movement 🗞️
August 6 | Armenia–Azerbaijan Conflict Ushered into a More Dangerous and Unstable Period 🗞️
July 8 | Presidential elections, protests, and the pandemic: How will Belarus look after August 9th? 🎬
June 22 | Elections in Belarus as never before: Is there a chance for change? 🗞️
June 3 | Sanctions against Russia: Still Useful? 🎬
May 25 | Gagauzia 2020: Politics, Security, and Society: An Interview with Samuel Goda 🎬
May 19 | COVID-19 in der Ukraine: die Problematik der Pandemiebekämpfung 🗞️
May 14 | Domestic Impacts of the Corona Crisis and Consequences for the Conflict in Eastern Ukraine 🎬
May 8 | Ukrainian politics, economic, and security in Covid-19 times: Nadiia Koval 🎬
April 17 | NATO, Russia, and Covid-19 🗞️
April 17 | Belarus in times of pandemic: domestic and foreign policy implications 🎬
March 9 | What to do about Russia? 🗞️
February 12 | Russian Federation: Post-Putin After Putin? 🎬
January 13 | Moldova in 2019: Recap of the Year and Prospects for 2020 🎬
2019
November 18 | Belarus at a Crossroads: Opting for Deeper Integration or Neutrality?
November 7 | The Inheritance of 1989: A Missed Opportunity to Grow Together?
May 10 | Background talk on Belarus: Current trends and Future scenarios
April 10 | Video & Report: “Conflicts in the Post-Soviet space”
April 08 | Short Interviews: Presidential Elections in Ukraine
April 04 | Video & Report: “Presidential Elections Ukraine”
March 07 | Video & Report: “EU-Russia Dialogue. Vienna Process 2019”
January 28 | Augenzeugenberichte aus der Ostukraine
January 16 | New Developments in the South Caucasus and the Role of Russia
2018
November 27 | Austrian Neutrality as a Model for the new Eastern Europe
November 19 | Policy paper: Settling the Ukrainian Crisis
October 4 | Settling of the Ukrainian crisis? Learning form the past – looking to the future
July 25 | The Diplomatic Relations Between Austria and Russia
June 5 | Ukrainische Aussichten - Im Spannungsfeld zwischen Ost und West, erschienen in der International - die Zeitschrift für internationale Politik II/ 2018
May 29 | Maria Kulikovska: Art in Ukraine – Challenges and Opportunities Following RAFT CRIMEA
May 15 | The West and Russia - Is a New Start Possible?
May 8 | Neutrality as a Model for the New Eastern Europe
April 24 | Ukraine: Is There One Truth?
April 23 | Civilian Monitors - an effective enough remedy to end a hot conflict?
April 19 | Ukraine and the USA: What is at stake for Europe?
March 28 | Ukraine: What Prize for Freedom?
March 22 | Research Trip in Kiev, Ukraine
March 16 | Ukraine: What Prize for Freedom?
2017
December 14 | Die Realität im Osten der Ukraine: Augenzeugenberichte
December 13 | Theater of Displaced People "DIE WARE" von Alik Sardanian
December 11 | Quo Vadis Ukraine?
June 21 | Changemakers in the Eastern Neighborhood
May 31 | Ukraine: Economic Relations across the Contact Line and the Role of Trade Unions
May 30 | Russia, Europe, and NATO: Is There a Way Out of the Crisis?
March 29 | Ukraine: Dialogue Instead of Monologue
January 11 | Quo Vadis Europe?
2016
December 14 | Russia in a New World Order? Lessons from “Primakov Readings”
September 10 | Dialogperspektiven für die Ukraine - Reisebericht
2015
November 19 | 40 Years after Helsinki: How to Continue
2014
November 14 | Russia - EU Relations: Further Deterioration Expected? Mutual mistrust