The Phantom Menace

Moscow’s sharp pivot in late 2021–early 2022 was seemingly meant to finally change things. One can speculate about how events would have developed if Russia had achieved quick success in Ukraine. However, the conflict’s transformation into a protracted confrontation has once again revived the topic of Russia’s weakness and served as a key justification for Western military, economic, and political mobilization. The prospect of exhausting Moscow’s already limited capabilities strengthens the resolve of its opponents. The stakes have been raised most by the EU, seeking political and strategic agency in the unfolding struggle (Fabrichnikov, 2025). Defeat in Ukraine would be a painful blow to the West, but it would hardly force it to reconsider its attitude towards Russia, which is based on ideas critical to Western countries’ self-identification

Imaging phantom · Politics · Weakness · Central European and Russian historical studies · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · Security, Politics, and Digital Transformation