Pax Europaea (English: the European peace – after the historical Pax Romana), was the period of relative peace experienced by Europe following World War II, in which there were notably few international conflicts or wars between European states. This peace had often been associated with the creation of NATO, the European Union (EU), and the predecessor institutions of the EU including the European Economic Community.[1] This era of relative peace was broadly maintained following the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union, with the major exceptions of the Yugoslav Wars, The Troubles in Northern Ireland, and various tensions and wars involving or within Russia. Following the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, this period was seen to have ended, with the conflict inducing the largest war on European soil since World War II, and the largest European refugee crisis since World War II.