The Russian-Ukrainian War and its Effects on European Security

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 40 - 61, 31.05.2025

Mehmet Bardakcı

Abstract

The war in Ukraine has had numerous implications for European security. This study primarily aims to demonstrate how Europe’s security has been impacted in the wake of the Ukraine War, as the EU's perception of Russia as a security threat has intensified. The central hypothesis of the article is that Russia's attack on Ukraine, unlike its annexation of Crimea in 2014, has significantly increased the perception of threat from Russia in Europe and has had major implications for European security. While Russia was previously seen as a cooperative country in NATO's prior strategic concept, the new concept now views it as a menacing actor. This shift has led EU nations to provide substantial military aid to Ukraine and reinforce EU forces in Eastern Europe. Moreover, EU countries have considerably increased their military expenditures. Sweden and Finland joined NATO in response to the Russian threat. Nonetheless, the article argues that the EU has not yet achieved complete strategic autonomy from the United States.

Keywords

Ukrainian war , European security , NATO , Transatlantic Alliance , Russia

Rusya-Ukrayna Savaşı ve Avrupa Güvenliğine Etkileri

Abstract

Ukrayna Savaşı Avrupa’nın güvenliğinde çeşitli etkilere yol açmıştır. Bu çalışmada temel olarak Ukrayna Savaşı sonrasında AB’nin Rusya’dan artan güvenlik tehdidi algısıyla beraber Avrupa’nın güvenliğinin nasıl etkilendiği ortaya konulmak istenmektedir. Makalenin merkezi hipotezi Rusya’nın Ukrayna’ya saldırısının 2014’te Kırım’ı ilhakından farklı olarak Avrupa’da Rusya’dan tehdit algısını büyük ölçüde artırdığı ve Avrupa güvenliği üzerinde önemli etkilere yol açtığıdır. Önceki NATO stratejik konseptinde Rusya, işbirliği yapılabilecek bir ülke olarak değerlendirilirken yeni konseptte artık tehdit edici bir aktör olarak görülmektedir. Bu durum AB ülkelerinin bir yandan Ukrayna’ya büyük miktarda askeri yardım yapmalarına yol açarken diğer yandan Doğu Avrupa’daki AB kuvvetlerinin takviye edilmesine neden olmuştur. Yanısıra AB ülkeleri askeri harcamalarını önemli oranda artırmışlardır. İsveç ve Finlandiya Rusya tehdidi nedeniyle NATO’ya üye olmuşlardır. Diğer yandan makale AB’nin ABD’den henüz stratejik otonomisini tam olarak elde edemediğini ileri sürmektedir.

Keywords

Ukrayna Savaşı , Avrupa güvenliği , NATO , Transatlantik ittifak , Rusya

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