Conference Paper

By reviewing the foundations of Euro‐Atlantic Security in the aftermath of the Second World War and appraising the Post‐Cold War security structure, this chapter er will consider competing claims in the post‐2000 Putin era between Western security institutions and the new Russian security doctrine aimed to control the “near abroad” (former Soviet space). Twenty‐five years after the collapse of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe are we now at the end of the End of the Cold War? By considering the new security threats to Europe, this chapter will assess today’s European security agenda, or the lack of it. With its security focus elsewhere in the world, perhaps the United States, the traditional guarantor of European security might not be able to provide such guarantees today. Perhaps the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative has been proven to be too ambitious in the light of recent developments. Has the crisis in Ukraine opened Cold War wounds, and what are the regional repercussions of this frozen conflict? Indeed, have any mistakes been made by the Western Alliance in its approach to Russia’s legitimate interests. Has the West made an (un) intentional contribution to the current state of affairs and what is the future of the political and security order in Europe?