DCU Professor of Politics Donnacha Ó Beacháin launches new book Unfinished Empire: Russian Imperialism in Ukraine and the near abroad

Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, has launch his new book Unfinished Empire: Russian Imperialism in Ukraine and the near abroad. This analysis of Russia’s enduring imperial mindset sheds critical light on how history, politics and power continue to collide in Ukraine and beyond, and why breaking the cycle of domination is vital for global security. 

Speaking at the launch of the book, DCU President, Professor Dáire Keogh, said: 

In Unfinished Empire, we have a powerful example of the role that universities and academics play in combating disinformation and historical revisionism. The book’s exploration of Russian imperialism combines historical depth with contemporary relevance, reflecting Prof Ó Beacháin’s long-standing personal passion for justice, accountability, and decolonial perspectives.

Prof Donnacha Ó Beacháin spoke about his aim for the book:

It has taken a brutal war of conquest for many to recognize the character and ambition of Russia’s imperial enterprise. With daily reminders of Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, the need to interrogate Kremlin myths about the post-Soviet region and beyond presents itself with an intolerable urgency. We have a pressing duty to engage more intimately and empathetically with the scores of nations that for too long have been in Russia’s shadow. In Unfinished Empire, I have tried to bring together voices from across the region — historians, analysts, eyewitnesses, and citizens — who are confronting the legacy and reality of empire. Writing this book, I returned again and again to one thought: that empire depends on silence and forgetting. This book is my attempt to refuse that silence and to join many others who are doing the same. We must understand this war not as a rupture, but as a return. We must also recognise that the fate of Ukraine will shape what kind of world we live in tomorrow. Because if tyranny finds victory in Ukraine, it will not stop there. If international law collapses in Donetsk or Kherson, it is weakened in Helsinki, in Vilnius, in Berlin, and in Dublin.

Reviews for Unfinished Empire: 

“This book offers a searing indictment of Russian imperialism and a profound exploration of Ukraine's struggle for sovereignty. A timely and necessary contribution to understanding the forces shaping Europe today.” - Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of Poland, 1995–2005

“Russian imperialism is at the root of the bloodiest armed conflict of the twenty-first century so far. It is only through understanding the basis of such conflicts that we can prevent them from repeating in the future. A vivid, insightful, and extremely helpful study.” - General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, 2021–24

“A gripping and incisive portrait of Russia and its brutal attack on Ukraine. Ó Beacháin roots Moscow's imperial ambitions in history and gives a compelling account of its neighbours, seen then and now as colonies. A super guide.” - Luke Harding, author of Invasion: Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for Survival

Unfinished Empire is available now.