The document discusses several topics related to geopolitics in Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union: 1) It discusses Friedrich Ratzel's argument that empires need to continuously expand their territory in order to survive, similar to how rubber bands need to stretch. 2) After the collapse of communism, many former Soviet states looked to join the EU for better living standards. From 1991 to 2004, one country per year on average became part of the EU. 3) Ukraine was left divided after the Soviet fall, with parts of the country favoring ties with Europe and others favoring Russia. Severe inflation continues to impact Ukraine.