War fatigue? The politicisation of the Ukraine war

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 marked a critical juncture in European politics, transforming the EU’s institutional, geopolitical and normative orientation. While initial consensus among mainstream political actors was high, questions later arose about whether emerging war fatigue in Europe was reshaping the political landscape and leading to greater politicisation. In this article, we examine the differentiated impact which the increasing costs of the war have had on the extent of politicisation across varying national contexts. We examine conceptually the dynamics of consensus-building in multinational military coalitions, the potential effects of war fatigue, and the factors shaping whether politicisation results. We show how these dynamics have played out empirically, charting the politics of support for Ukraine from initial consensus on securitizing Russia towards a more complex picture characterized by increasing concerns about the costs of the war and the effectiveness of the European support.