Mackinder Forum 01.22.2026 - "Geopolitics of the War Against Ukraine"

Описание: Speaker: Ioannis Kotoulas

Talk Abstract: Since February 2022 Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We examine the macrohistorical and geopolitical background of the Russian invasion and its justification by Russian propaganda. Using a macrohistorical perspective and Classical Geopolitics we approach Russia as an expansive Eurasian land empire; adopting a neoclassical realist approach, we argue that the invasion can be interpreted on the basis of both inherent factors (ideology, distorted perceptions of Ukraine) and security/power concerns (power transition theory). We distinguish Russian war objectives into grand strategy objectives, political, economic and demographic objectives and comment on possible scenarios.

Speaker Biography: Ioannis E. Kotoulas (PhD in History, PhD in Geopolitics) is Adjunct Lecturer in Geopolitics at the University of Athens, Guest Lecturer at State Department/National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Hellenic National Defense School and Hellenic Army Law School. He has been Visiting Lecturer at Tbilisi State University, Guest Lecturer at National Intelligence University, Deakin University, Leipzig University, Tsinghua University, Southwest University, Xi’an University, University of Georgia, Marmara University, and National Odesa University. He is Academic Advisor of Foreign Affairs Institute (Athens) and a member of the Council for International Relations- Greece, the Balkan History Association and the Mackinder Forum. He is peer reviewer for Journal of Military Studies, Hiperboreea, and Polish Political Science Yearbook. His analyses have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs Latinoamérica, China Today, Al-Ahram Weekly, El Dostor, Libya Review, Kyiv Post, Algemeiner. His books include Classical Geopolitics and Modern Greece (2026), [Editor] Greece Reborn: Aspects of Modern Greece, 1821-2021 (2026), Geopolitics of the War against Ukraine (2024), History of Greek Geopolitics (2021), History and Geopolitics of modern Greece (2019).