Between Strategic Rationalism and Strategic Culture: Explaining the Causes of Russian Aggression Against Ukraine

Autori u radu analiziraju uzroke i ciljeve ruske agresije na Ukrajinu. Kao teorijsko-konceptualni okviri koriste se realistički strateški racionalizam i socijalno konstruirana strateška kultura. Primijenjena istraživačka metoda jest kritička analiza diskursa. U ovom radu najvažniji element (sigurnosnog) diskursa kao društvene prakse jest njegova uloga u konstrukciji značenja, odnosno značenja koje Rusija i ruski establišment pridaju rusko-ukrajinskim odnosima, ukrajinskoj naciji i neovisnoj ukrajinskoj državi te položaju Ukrajine u odnosu na euroatlantske integracije i odnose Rusije i Zapada u relaciji s ukrajinskim nastojanjima k euroatlantskom integriranju. Kao primarna jedinica analize poslužili su govori (Putin, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022) i esej (Putin, 2021) ruskog predsjednika Vladimira Putina u razdoblju od 2005. do 2022., da bi zatim bili korišteni i relevantni znanstveni doprinosi u ulozi sekundarne građe. Sumarna analiza diskursa u konstrukciji značenja ukupnosti rusko-ukrajinskih odnosa u obrazloženju ruske invazije na Ukrajinu upućuje na pokušaje njezina opravdanja na sigurnosnoj, (geo)političkoj, strateškoj, pravnoj, gospodarskoj, mitsko-religijskoj, sociokulturnoj i filozofsko-moralnoj razini. No odgovor u razlozima ruske agresije na Ukrajinu ne pronalazi se dominantno u okvirima (realističkog) strateškog racionalizma, nego socijalno konstruirane strateške kulture.In this paper, the authors analyse the causes and goals of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Realist strategic rationalism and socially constructed strategic culture are used as theoretical-conceptual frameworks, while critical discourse analysis is the applied research method. In this paper, the key element of the security discourse as a social practice is his role in the construction of meaning. Namely, the meaning that Russia and the Russian establishment attribute to the Russo-Ukrainian relations, the Ukrainian nation, the independent state of Ukraine and the position of Ukraine regarding the Euro-Atlantic integration and the relation of Russia and West regarding Ukrainian endeavours towards the Euro-Atlantic integrations. As a primary unit of analysis, the authors used the essay of Russian President Vladimir Putin (2021) and his speeches (Putin, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022) from 2005 to 2022, and after that, the relevant scientific contributions in the role of secondary material. A summary analysis of discourses in constructing the meaning of a totality of Russo-Ukrainian relations and an explanation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine points to an attempt to justify the invasion at a security, geopolitical, strategic, legal, economic, religious-mythological, socio-cultural, moral and philosophical levels. However, the answer to the causes of Russian aggression on Ukraine cannot be found dominantly inside the frameworks of (realist) strategic rationalism but within the societally constructed strategic culture