International Relations Theory and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine - Dr Steven Ward
This seminar has two simultaneous objectives: first, to harness insights from the field of international relations to better understand Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent course of the war; second, to deepen students’ understanding of classic and recent research in IR (especially in the area of security studies) by applying it to this ongoing case. The seminar begins by using research on identity, status, and the heated historical and theoretical debate over NATO enlargement to investigate the roots of the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and between Russia and the “West.” Subsequent sessions explore both classic and cutting-edge work on the causes of war, the determinants of military effectiveness, the dynamics of nuclear deterrence, the influence of economic sanctions, the processes by which wars end, and the challenge of extended deterrence to illuminate the causes, conduct, and consequences of the war in Ukraine.