Efforts to explain why relations between Russia and the EU collapsed over the past decade have taken a closer look at previously neglected historical factors. But one development that perhaps represented the first step toward the current crisis between Moscow and Europe is overlooked: the Moldova-Transnistria war over 30 years ago.
Europe
The war in Gaza and the Houthis’ de facto blockade of the Suez Canal have both imperiled the Mediterranean’s recently regained status as a nodal point of global trade. But at the same time, the European movement toward de-risking trade with China and adopting shorter supply chains provides an opportunity for Mediterranean nations.
The liberal European order has been under attack from within and without in recent years. The EU became a convenient punching bag for opportunistic politicians in many of its member countries, and centrist political parties are being challenged by a populist wave that may not have yet crested. The work to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties with the U.S. under President Joe Biden has begun, even as Russia's attempts to destabilize the European order have not abated.