Plokhy, S. (2011). The “New Eastern Europe”: What to Do with the Histories of Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova? East European Politics and Societies, 25(4), 763-769. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0888325411398914

my note: this 2011 article, suddenly becomes relevant, considering the current situation in Ukraine. My opinion as a historian is that further “decentralization” of the 20th century definition of “Eastern Europe,” as contested as it is (e.g., are Poland, the Czech R, Slovakia, and Hungary “Central Europe” or “Eastern Europe?” Are the Balkans In EE?), will further exacerbate the debate around the definition.
on the other hand, the author may have a point, by claiming Central European and Balkan countries are now generally referred as the “European Union,” but that also is not as simple, considering the exclusion of some former Yugoslav/Balkan countries.

other complexities (similarly to the downfall of Yugoslavia): religion[s], ethnicity, geopolitical issues.

“Thus, the NEE is not just a figment of current geopolitical imagination. There are geographic, cultural, ethnic, and historical factors that set it apart from its neighbors. But can history as a discipline and we as its practitioners benefit from this new conceptualization of the old Eastern Europe?”