Ukraine on the mental map of Europe

Ukraine, as German historian Karl Schlögel describes it, was once perceived by the West as little more than a blank spot on the map. A dozen years after Russia seized Crimea and launched a shadow war in the Donbas, and four years since its full-scale invasion, Europe recognizes support for Ukraine as a linchpin of its own security. With its resistance and resilience, Ukraine has carved out a place in the European family, against the backdrop of war and a fast-evolving transatlantic relationship. Germany and other countries look to Ukraine for vital lessons on battlefield tactics and civil defense, even as Ukraine’s path to further institutional integration in Europe remains challenging.

On March 19, the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings, in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Washington, will welcome Karl Schlögel, professor emeritus in Eastern European history at Europa-Universität Viadrina and 2025 winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, for a lecture on Ukraine’s changing role in Europe in the wake of the Russian invasion. Schlögel’s remarks will be followed by a conversation with Center on the United States and Europe Director and Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and Transatlantic Relations Constanze Stelzenmüller as well as an expert panel.

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