Hinterlands: The New Cold War Brewing at the Peripheries of the West
The Facts
- Book Overview: British journalist Hannah Lucinda Smith's reported travelogue appears in the U.K. as "Hinterlands: Journeys through Europe's Unfinished Frontiers" and in the U.S. as "Hinterlands: The New Cold War Brewing at the Peripheries of the West." The book argues that neglected borderlands around Europe, Russia and Turkey are becoming key fault lines in a new geopolitical struggle and its U.K. edition was published by Profile Books on June 4, 2026, while Liveright, an imprint of W.W. Norton, released the U.S. edition July 21.
- Context: Based in Istanbul since 2013, Smith spent over a decade reporting on Turkey, the Balkans and nearby conflicts. Following her earlier book "Erdogan Rising," she first pitched the recent publication in 2021–22 as a study of misinformation, spycraft and diplomacy, but publishers found it too diffuse. Profile Books then pushed a country-by-country structure, while the Ukraine war sharpened the concept. In her final draft, Smith frames Europe as containing 34 disputed territories, many around Turkey and the Black Sea.
- Author's Claims: Smith defines the "hinterlands" as unrecognized, occupied or disputed territories on the fringes of former empires and today's rival spheres of influence. She argues that Putin and Erdogan exploit these spots through flexible alliances, pressure and proxy influence, while the EU and NATO respond more slowly. Her central warning is Western complacency, as she suggests these conflicts may look peripheral, but can rapidly become central to Europe's security and redraw borders through violence.
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The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
"Hinterlands" is a masterful reminder that history's biggest upheavals often begin in marginalized locations ignored by the rest of the world. Smith's vivid reporting exposes how Russia and Turkey exploit forgotten borders through money, propaganda and political influence, while ordinary people bear the consequences. From Transnistria's crypto farms to Cyprus's divided communities, Eastern powers are already engaged in cold war tactics, which could turn hot if the West fails to pay attention.
Establishment-critical narrative
The danger isn't just conflict on Europe's fringes, but the West turning every local dispute into another front in a supposed global war. Balkan tensions have deep historical roots that cannot be reduced to alleged Russian meddling, while NATO interventions have helped entrench fragile settlements. Politicians and media inflate every drone incursion into a sounding gun for World War III. Western leaders seem more intent on pushing toward global war than convenient specter of the Eastern boogeymen.
