Interpreting
the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
through Strategic Culture Theory
by Konstantinos-Taxiarchis Bonis
This article whether Strategic Culture Theory can provide a suitable theoretical framework for analyzing the actions of the Russian Federation following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine. After providing a definition of Strategic Culture and the distinction of its four specific and often overlapping sources, each of them is examined. These are the national identity, the perceptions, the values, and the norms or behavior of a state. The rationale of this paper is to combine Strategic Culture Theory with concrete evidence, mainly derived from the public discourse of political elites, the history, and the strategic actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the West, in general.
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Picture: ‘Vladimir Putin’ by Global Panoramaunder a CC BY-SA 2.0.
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Institute of International Relations or its Researchers.