The lecture will focus on the current political developments in Europe after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In response to thousands of civilian deaths and destruction of the country, the international community has imposed fierce sanctions targeting every sector of the Russian economy. The war has created a new reality and changed the relations between Russia and the European Union from the ground. Was it possible to avoid the war? How are the refugees from Ukraine received and how did the conflict change lives of the people in neighboring countries? What will be the impact for Europe in near future? Dr. Martin Nekola, Ph.D. received his doctorate in Political Science at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. His research is focused on non-democratic regimes, the era of Communism, Czech communities abroad and the East-European anti-communist exiles in the USA during the Cold War. From time to time he participates in the election observation missions organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He is the member of Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), he is the author of more than three hundred articles and has published twenty-four books. He is also Czechoslovak Talks Project coordinator. This event is sponsored by the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic, the Department of History and the Ellison Center for Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.