This third special issue of Connections: The Quarterly Journal, dedicated to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, expands the understanding of the roots and where Russia’s aggression is headed. Kremlinism is presented as an attack on civilization, deeply rooted in fascist ideology, where hybrid attacks and information-psychological operations are used to advance the geopolitical goal of establishing the Russkiy Mir.

This special edition of Connections presents a collection of amended versions of some of the most popular and widely read articles from the last two decades. Each article is a testament to the journal’s enduring commitment to excellence in the field of security studies. This compilation reflects the evolving landscape of global security and highlights the critical insights and innovative perspectives that our authors bring to the forefront of academic and policy discussions.

Editors: Sean S. Costigan and Todor Tagarev

Twenty-five years after its creation, the PfP Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes continues to serve its stakeholders by adapting to new challenges, providing education and training solutions and policy recommendations, and building partners’ capacity. The Consortium’s activities contribute to increasing regional stability, enhancing global security cooperation to address current and emerging transnational security challenges, and sharing a commitment to democratic principles and values.

Connections, the journal of the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC), invites submissions for a special issue dedicated to exploring the characteristics and implications of Russia’s war of imperial aggression in Ukraine and confrontation with the Global West.  This edition will focus on Russia's current and evolving threat potential in the nuclear, conventional, and sub-conventional (hybrid/irregular) domains and how market-oriented democratic states can respond and counter in ways that not only avoid escalation and miscalculation, but that manage and reduce the

Connections, the journal of the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC), invites submissions for a special issue dedicated to exploring the intricate relationship between political regime dynamics—particularly democratic backsliding—and security governance. This edition will focus on how shifts in political regimes, from democratic erosion to authoritarian resurgence, impact the governance and functioning of security institutions, both at the national and international levels.

Connections, the journal of the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC), invites submissions for its upcoming issue which will focus on the security implications of environmental degradation, climate change, and geopolitics of natural resources. The issue takes a broader perspective and consider the Planet Earth as the core subject of the issue and examines the environmental, economic, political, and demographic discussions that are connected to the regional and global security discussions.

Potential authors will be invited to focus on certain issues, such as:

Connections, the journal of the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC), invites submissions for its upcoming issue which will examine present and future developments on the Balkans. The Balkans is a vast area including Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Any region, country or countries of the region can be examined, from a geopolitical context.

Potential authors will be invited to focus on certain issues such as:

Connections, the journal of the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC), invites submissions for its upcoming issue which will focus on the contemporary Black Sea security issues, examine the regional impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine, analyze the potential for an institutionalized long-term regional peace and stability. 

Potential author will be invited to focus on certain issues such as:

Connections, the journal of the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC), invites submissions for its upcoming third special edition on Ukraine. Although, the conflict is far from over, now is the time to start conceptualizing various possible endings and the eventual post-war situation.