The contemporary global geopolitical landscape presents significant challenges for the European Union, marked by Russia's aggression in Ukraine, escalating trade tensions, and uncertainties regarding future US security commitments to Europe, among other factors. This paper critically assesses the optimistic narratives surrounding European strategic autonomy, identifying key shortcomings that impede agenuine 'geopolitical awakening' of the European Union. Drawing on a framework that integrates elements of classical and post-modern geopolitics, as well as a geoeconomic approach, the analysis argues that the EU's 'geopolitical awakening' remains rhetorical mainly, as evidenced by policy documents such as the Strategic Compass and the 'Re-Arm Europe' Plan, with limited progress in operationalising its stated ambitions. The paper argues that the EU needs to address the origins of these shortcomings, many related to the Member-States of the Union, like the lack of political willingness, the failure of defence coordination, the industry competition replacing cooperation, and the lack of a more balanced development between the North and the South, a particularly vulnerable area being the South-Eastern flank.
The article examines the political career of Omelyan Popovych, a renowned Ukrainian civic and educational leader in Bukovina. It highlights that even as a student-first in a gymnasium and later in the teacher's seminary-he was deeply engaged in community work and served as President of the youth organisation "Soglasie" (Entente). Although he initially showed Muscophile inclinations, Popovych gradually shifted to Ukrainophile views under the influence of senior colleagues and his own introspection, eventually becoming one of the key figures of the Narodovtsi movement in Bukovina. The article offers an indepth exploration of his contributions to Ukrainian cultural and educational societies, several of which he chaired. It discusses his work as an editor for Narodovtsi newspapers and the Bukovina Orthodox Calendar. Omelyan Popovych played a formative role in establishing Ukrainian political parties in Bukovina, and his initiatives to create the Ukrainian Progressive Party and the Ukrainian National-Democratic Party are reviewed. The study also traces Popovych's activities during World War I. Although he spent two periods in emigration, first in Vienna and later in Prague, he continued to closely monitor developments in Bukovina. He published the "Bukovyna" newspaper, which became the region's principal Ukrainian newspaper during the war. His involvement informing the Ukrainian National Council in Lviv, the Bukovinian regional committee, organising the Ukrainian assembly on November 3, 1918, and participating in the governance of Northern Bukovina, as well as in the leadership of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, has also been analysed.
The article examines the everyday working life of Soviet workers, using defence factories in Kazakhstan, both local and evacuated during World War II, as examples. The evacuation demonstrated not only the possibilities of organising production under the extreme conditions of war but also revealed a complex picture of workers' everyday labour. This complexity was reflected in the Soviet leadership's system of priorities, in labour relations, in workers' living conditions, and in the structure of production in the new regions.
The European Union (EU) has expended considerable effort to achieve economic and political integration and expansion, yielding notable results. However, recent developments, including political, financial, and regional crises; the migration issue; the rise of populist rhetoric; and the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, have intensified debates about the EU's core values and perspectives. The future of the EU is currently being discussed through a series of scenarios, including maintaining the status quo, deepening integration in certain countries, and complete disintegration. Document analysis was utilised as the research method for all aspects of the study, and data were obtained from literature reviews and official reports. Consequently, the challenges confronting the European Union were examined through the lens of potential scenarios and rationales. The analysis concluded that the future of UE is uncertain.
China has the potential to challenge the rules-based international order (RBIO). This challenge is evident worldwide. Through opaque economic methods, China is becoming an effective geopolitical power across diverse regions. Central Asia is one region where Chinese expansionism has become particularly evident. Central Asia is a major route paves the way for China's global ambitions to take a geopolitical content. BRI is vital for the formation of a China-centred international system. In this context, China is gradually increasing its political, military, and cultural influence, as well as its economic presence, in Central Asia. China's growing presence in Central Asia reveals how it has transformed the economy into an effective geopolitical tool. After 2013, there has been a noticeable change in the asymmetric dependence of Central Asian countries on China. This situation poses many risks for the countries of the region.
