Before and After 24.02.2022: Neighbouring Russia and Ukraine’s Mission

Abstract

Russia’s geographical neighbours have long been familiar with the significant security threat posed by the common border with this country. The events after 24 February 2022, as well as cases of nuclear blackmail by the Russian government, have extended this threat beyond Europe and Asia. It has become clear that the problem of neighbouring Russia has acquired a global dimension. Among the 14 countries that share land borders with the Russian Federation, six of them have joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and are under the Alliance’s nuclear protection. Each of these countries, except for Norway, joined NATO after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), influenced by the fact that they had repeatedly been the target of Russian (Soviet) expansion in the past, losing sovereignty or a significant part of their land...