The Berlin-Kyiv Relationship: Whips and Submission

But not the way you'd think this time

Speaking as a historian, my future colleagues looking back on early 21st century European history will have much to discuss at their conferences.

Concerning geopolitics, they will argue about how post-Cold War Europe managed not to emancipate itself from the US but, on the contrary, became submissive as never before. Regarding economics, they will ponder the mystery of Europe’s decline – predicted, much lamented, and yet irresistible. The legacy of Israel’s Gaza genocide will, of course, have generated a whole range of literature about how most of Europe took part in perpetrating it or looked away.

But during the coffee breaks, there will be those moments of nerd humor that only fellow academics find funny, where a favorite game could be to ask which two states had the kinkiest relationship. Hands-down, every time, the winner of most-perverse-international-relationship is going to be the Germany-Ukraine couple.