Of tanks and tankies: What's ‘left’ for geography after the invasion of Ukraine

Abstract

This commentary explores the degree to which the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has posed a challenge for political geographers. I reason that while the war has exposed conceptual weaknesses and political blind spots, it has also validated many of the foci with which geographers have approached post‐Cold War European security. By drawing attention to the epistemological and moral problems of current NATO scepticism, I argue that tactics of counter‐mapping and whataboutery need to be carried out with the necessary care for the historical and political context.