Samenvatting

Recently, the international security situation has changed significantly. Mutual trust
between states has declined sharply. Policy makers of states and international organisations
often no longer know where they stand. In 2016, the Oxford Dictionary proclaimed ‘post truth’ the word of the year.1 In 2018, ‘fake news’ and ‘misinformation’ were amongst the
most commonly used words.2 Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 proved to have been
a watershed in the way states interact with each other, but this was not the only event that
contributed to great international distrust. Much has also happened in the West since then,
not only between states but also within states themselves that has left decision-makers,
media and the public at a loss as to where they stand.