How Europe got Russia wrong: a new book on Europe's misunderstandings

In his new book How Europe Got Russia Wrong: Energy, Violence, and the Environment, Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen addresses the question posed by the title by examining how Russia was perceived by politicians, experts, the business sector, and researchers in Russian studies. Tynkkynen pays attention to how the belief in the benefits of interdependence —through energy trade and cooperation— emerged and how it was sustained. However, interdependence did not bring safety or peace to Europe. The book suggests that the outcome was not all that surprising.

Why was Russia’s violence overlooked, and why did one "crisis" after another repeatedly come as a surprise to Europe? Tynkkynen argues that this traces down to the belief of the benefits of economic interdependence. The prevailing ethos held that trading and cooperating with Russia would suppress its violence. The book discusses how Europe sidestepped uncomfortable questions about Russia’s violence, such as its treatment of opposition figures, and opted for prioritizing economic concerns instead. This was especially evident in the energy industries of Finland and Germany.

In addition to economic factors, politicians also lacked a clear vision. Tynkkynen argues that Finland, for instance, did not have a coherent strategy for Russia with well-defined goals for its relationship with Russia. Instead, Finland imitated Germany’s approach, drawing from the Cold War-era Ostpolitik, which Tynkkynen describes as an ideological and fear-driven policy choice. Beyond economics and politics, Tynkkynen also turns a critical eye towards the academia.

Today, colonialism and imperialism are central concepts in Russian studies, but Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen asks why this was not the case before Russia's war of aggression expanded in February 2022. After all, post-Soviet Russia had already demonstrated what it was capable of through the Chechen wars, the eight-day war in Georgia, and the annexation of Ukrainian territories. Despite Russia expanding its war of aggression in Ukraine, Tynkkynen argues that Russia’s violence and colonialism were largely overlooked.

Why did colonialism and imperialism become the major concepts in Russian studies only after February 2022?

To the Russian studies scholar Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen, the question of who is responsible for Russia's war of aggression is partially answered by "we ourselves," referring to his field of study and the West more broadly. Russian studies and expertise, as a whole, failed to focus on the right questions, neglecting to consider Russia’s violence from the perspective of its victims. Instead, the emphasis was too heavily on the relationship between the West and Russia. Tynkkynen argues that criticism of the prevailing mindset was too often dismissed as unrelevant or even dangerous.

At the book launch event, Tynkkynen discussed key points that are especially important moving forward. He emphasized the importance of supporting those in Russia who advocate for democratization and envision a democratic future for the country, in contrast to a status as a banana republic. Europe should develop a long-term, norm-based Russia strategy that genuinely curbs violence and sets clear conditions for Russia, rewarding it only when Russia is moving to the right direction. 

Tynkkynen also stressed the need for the independence of research, free from the influence of the political climate of any given era. In past decades, researchers and politicians became too familiar with each other, which contributed to the misunderstanding Russia. Tynkkynen highlighted the importance of giving young researchers the space to grow, challenge established paradigms, and offer fresh perspectives. Future books and studies, he suggested, will further refine the understanding of how Europe got Russia wrong.