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Mearsheimer, Realism, and the Ukraine War
Source: degruyter.com
Article summary:
1. This article examines the debate around the merits of realism in explaining the Ukraine War, with a focus on John J. Mearsheimer's offensive realism theory.
2. It takes issue with the conflation of structural realism with realism in general, and argues that while structural realist accounts of the Ukraine war might convincingly explain broader trends in European security, they are insufficient in explaining Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.
3. The article argues that to offer a convincing explanation it is necessary to open up the black box of Russia and engage with more ideational and psychological-emotional factors, such as Putin’s increasing use of civilizational rhetoric and the symbiotic waning of Russia’s ontological security.
Article analysis:
This article provides an interesting analysis of the debate around the merits of realism in helping explain the Ukraine War, with a focus on John J. Mearsheimer's offensive realism theory. The author makes some valid points about how structural realist accounts may be insufficient in explaining Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, and suggests that more ideational and psychological-emotional factors should be taken into consideration when examining this conflict.
However, there are some potential issues with this article which should be noted. Firstly, it is not clear whether all sides of this debate have been adequately represented or explored; for example, while non-realists have been mentioned briefly, their arguments have not been discussed in any detail or depth. Secondly, there is a lack of evidence provided for some of the claims made; for example, while it is argued that “structural changes occurring in Russia’s self-defined ‘near abroad’ led it to undertake a short war in Georgia” as a warning shot about NATO membership for Ukraine, no evidence is provided to support this claim. Thirdly, there is also a lack of exploration into possible counterarguments; for example, while it is argued that NATO expansion eastwards was largely responsible for provoking Russia into invading Ukraine, other possible explanations (such as internal political dynamics within Russia) are not discussed at all.
In conclusion, while this article provides an interesting analysis of the debate around realism and its application to understanding the Ukraine War, there are some potential issues which should be noted before accepting its conclusions without further investigation or exploration into other perspectives or evidence sources.