THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE THROUGH THE LENS OF CONSTRUCTIVISM

Апстракт

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has considerably reshaped the global security
landscape, exposing and presenting significant defense strategy challenges. The wider analysis of the invasion has been presented from the perspective of realism and liberalism, as the
two dominant theories of international relations, for other theories which may be critical in
understanding the issue at hand, have been overlooked. For instance, constructivism offers
a unique perspective by emphasizing the role of identity, historical narratives and social
structures in shaping state behavior. Drawing on Alexander Wendt’s theoretical framework,
this study explores how Russia perceives Ukraine as an inseparable part of its historical and
cultural identity and how such perception has influenced its foreign policy. Additionally, the
study delves into how Ukraine’s post-2014 identity shift and alignment with Western institutions have challenged Russia’s self-construed image of a dominant power. Findings suggest
that constructivism provides valuable insights into the roots of the invasion, the importance of
individuals, highlighting motives behind Russia’s decision-making processes, and their impact
on European and global security. 

REFERENCES

1. Berger, P. L. & Luckmann, T. (1967) The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. London: The Penguin Press. Available
at: [https://amstudugm.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/social-construction-of-reality.pdf] (Accessed: 10 April 2025);
2. Giddens, A. (1984) The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Oxford: Polity Press;
3. Greenwood Onuf N. (1989) World of Our Making: Rules and Rule in Social Theory and International Relations. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press;
4. Jackson, R. & Sorensen, G. (2013). Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press;
5. Kotkin, S. (2016) ‘Russia’s Perpetual Geopolitics: Putin Returns to the Historical Pattern’. Foreign Affairs, Vol. 95(3);
6. Masters, J. (2023) ‘Ukraine: Conflict at the Crossroads of Europe and Russia’. Available at: [https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-crossroads-europe-and-russia] (Accessed on: 16 April 2025).
7. Putin, V. (2021) ‘Article by Vladimir Putin “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians”’. Available at: [http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181] (Accessed on: 16 April 2025);
8. Smith, N. R. & Dawson, G. (2022) ‘Mersheimer, Realism and the Ukraine War’. De Gruyter - Analyse and Kritik, Vol. 44(2);
9. Titov, A. S. (2005) Lev Gumilev, Ethnogenesis and Eurasianism. [Doctoral Dissertation]. London: University College London - School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies;
10.Walt, S. M. (1985) ‘Alliance formation and the balance of world power’. International Security, Vol.9(4), pp. 1-43
11.Waltz, K. N. (1979) Theory of International Politics. Menlo Park: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company;