Ukraine: Russia\u2019s War and the Future of the Global Order<\/strong>, edited by\u00a0Michael Cox<\/strong> explores the causes and nature of Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, triggered by the 2022 invasion, and its impacts on the global world order. According to Cl\u00e9mence Pellissier<\/strong>, the nuanced contributions in this volume work together to unpick the war\u2019s dual role as a catalyst for geopolitical change and a means of revealing pre-existing international dynamics. <\/i><\/p>\n Ukraine:\u00a0Russia\u2019s War and the Future of the Global Order. <\/a><\/strong><\/em>Michael Cox. LSE Press. 2023.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Together, the chapters develop a comprehensive approach to understanding the war, placing it in the context of stakes regarding identity<\/a>, geopolitics<\/a> and economics<\/a>. Adopting a slightly different approach from the rest of the literature in this area, the aim here is to understand each actor (Russia, Ukraine, the West, China), rather than proposing a global geopolitical<\/a> reading or an analysis centred on just one of these (generally Russia<\/a> or Ukraine<\/a>). This enables an understanding both ruptures<\/a>\u00a0and continuity with the contemporary realities of international relations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s remarkable resilience is evident not only on the battlefield but also in its society.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As stressed by D\u00fcben, Putin casts the war as an existential battle to restore \u201cGreater Russia,\u201d with Ukraine central to this narrative (linked to the concept of \u201cnovorossiya<\/em><\/a>\u201d or \u201cnew Russia\u201d, 62 and 75). Coker shows how, drawing from historical and eschatological<\/a> ideas (linked to the key question of Russian identity, 7 et seq.), Putin frames the invasion as a continuation of the Great Patriotic War (World War II), aiming to \u201cdenazify\u201d Ukraine (24). This rhetoric aligns with a Schimttian<\/a> notion of politics of enemy<\/a>: \u201cto belong to the Russian nation you must identify as ethnically and culturally Russian, as well as speak Russian\u201d (95). Knott explains how survival results in identification and eradication of the \u201cother,\u201d both externally (against Ukraine, 103 et seq.) and internally (targeting minorities like Muslims and Crimean Tatars, 98 et seq. and 100 et seq.).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite Putin\u2019s rhetoric, the Russian population is not monolithic in its support. Lankina\u2019s chapter reminds us that the socioeconomic structure, largely unchanged since the Tsarist era (35 et seq.), remains deeply stratified (40-41). It has created a small, highly educated, urban elite, versus an economically and culturally underprivileged majority, mostly living in rural areas. The latter are more receptive to Putin\u2019s narrative and social contract<\/a> (50-51).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The war has also accelerated Ukraine\u2019s quest for national identity (119 and 167-168), uniting its people in a \u201ccivic\u201d rather than ethnic sense (142-143: \u201cUkrainian identity is (\u2026) civic and political rather than ethnic\u201d). Yekelchyk shows how this is linked to Ukraine\u2019s delicate accession to independence since the fall of the Soviet Union (123). Previously divided elites and populations now appear to align under a shared goal of democratic independence (130 et seq.), with President Zelensky embodying this reconciliation (114). The conflict has bridged linguistic and ethnic divides, fostering national cohesion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This war initially revealed significant divides within Europe, particularly between Eastern and Western nations regarding Russia [\u2026] However, Spohr shows the conflict ultimately prompted greater unity<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Ukraine\u2019s remarkable resilience is evident not only on the battlefield but also in its society (148). The country has displayed a strong recovery and adaptability, which, according to Krawchenko is paving the way for potential European integration (164). Lokot emphasises how public opinion and media have played a critical role, with Russian efforts to control information (152 et seq.) and telecommunications infrastructure intensifying the struggle (150 et seq.). Despite these challenges, Ukraine\u2019s resistance has highlighted the effectiveness of its civic unity and institutional fortitude.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This war initially revealed significant divides within Europe, particularly between Eastern and Western nations regarding Russia (278 et seq.). However, Spohr shows the conflict ultimately prompted greater unity, exemplified by Germany\u2019s shift (294 et seq.) from a pacifist stance to a more assertive \u201cOstpolitik<\/em><\/a>\u201d, or East-politics (303). The war also highlighted Europe\u2019s energy dependency on Russia, forcing policy shifts toward renewable energy and diversification of supply chains (214 et seq.). The end of the \u201csecurity illusion\u201d (361-362) has led to greater unity and clarification.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The US response to the war reflects a major geopolitical recalibration, as explored by Harris, Marinova, and Griciu. While the Obama administration took a cautious approach in 2014 (258-259), President Biden has embraced an assertive stance (263 et seq.), using the conflict to weaken Russia and send a message to global rivals like China (270). Yet, domestic political divisions persist, with figures like Donald Trump advocating for an isolationist approach (267).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the war in Ukraine is also amplifying several fault lines, not least political ones<\/a>. This is the case in the US, where Trump is clearly defending American interests first (25\/258). The same divide can be observed within the European Union. Hungary, for example, is reluctant to vote in favour of European sanctions (234-235).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n China has also maintained, and even expanded, its economic and political relations with Russia.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This new political divide is amplified by the crises generated by the war on the continent. Firstly, refugees: Europe\u2019s reception of Ukrainian refugees has been generally large and unanimous, but this is reinforcing a problematic double standard (compared, for example, with the welcome reserved for Afghans), (193 and 198). As the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organise Crime<\/a> adds, the war in Ukraine has also amplified and encouraged the proliferation of criminal networks, particularly in the fields of drug trafficking (230 et seq.) and sexual exploitation (236 et seq.). This combination of war, crime and forced migration has had the effect of considerably tightening border controls (188), particularly using technology (196 et seq.). In their chapter, Georgiou and Troszy\u0144ski show how this current reinforcement of borders is both a physical and a \u201csymbolic\u201d barrier, keeping Westerners in an us\/them dynamic (194).\u00a0<\/p>\n Alden explains how the launch of the invasion did not trigger any real condemnation. The Global South has largely refrained from condemning Russia, with many countries abstaining from UN resolutions (359). This stance reflects a return to the doctrine of non-alignment (368 et seq.) and scepticism toward Western double standards in international law (361). For many Global South states, the West\u2019s current defence of Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity rings hollow given its history of military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. In other words, the countries of the Global South are refusing to play what they see as a sort of game whose rules have been established by the West, and which, when it comes to international relations, merely defends the West\u2019s interests (373).\u00a0<\/p>\n This question of geopolitical interests also helps us understand China\u2019s position. Cox addresses this specific issue by going back over China\u2019s abstention<\/a> from the vote at the United Nations of the resolution ES-11\/1<\/a> (335 et seq.). More broadly, he shows that China has also maintained, and even expanded, its economic and political relations with Russia. More to the point, politics has here taken precedence over economics. By choosing to rally behind Russia, China has accepted the risk of calling into question its economic relations with the West (341). This gamble can be explained by an assertive geopolitical will, particularly in the context of a struggle for influence with the United States in the Indo-Pacific (347).\u00a0<\/p>\n Contrary to appearances (and rhetoric), the war in Ukraine is not strictly a European war. Unforeseen by many players, it has forced them to reposition themselves and\/or assert their position in international relations. In this sense, the book enables a broad audience to grasp the dual aspect of this war as both a catalysing and revealing force.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Note:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0This review gives the views of the author and not the position of the LSE Review of Books blog, nor of the London School of Economics and Political Science.<\/em><\/p>\n Image:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Alim Yakubov<\/a> on Shutterstock<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n Enjoyed this post?\u00a0<\/em>Subscribe to our newsletter<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for a round-up of the latest reviews sent straight to your inbox every other Tuesday.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n![\"Ukraine](\"https:\/\/blogsmedia.lse.ac.uk\/blogs.dir\/30\/files\/2024\/12\/Ukraine-book-cover-196x300.png\")
\u201cWar is a mere continuation of policy by other means\u201d. The West had forgotten this\u00a0Clausewitzian<\/a>\u00a0reality. Russia\u2019s surprise invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was difficult to predict, not fitting into the dominant paradigm and narrative: Why, when the West considers high-intensity warfare an\u00a0outdated institution<\/a>, did Vladimir Putin opt for a military invasion?\u00a0Michael Cox<\/a>\u2019s edited volume,\u00a0Ukraine: Russia\u2019s War and the Future of the Global Order<\/em>\u00a0explores the war\u2019s dual role as a catalyst for geopolitical change and a means of revealing pre-existing international dynamics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Putin: Historian of an existential struggle<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Ukraine: The delicate quest for a politico-national identity\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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The West: Between unity and rupture\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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A recalibrating world order?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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