Explanations of Russian Invasion to Ukraine: A Comparative Perspective

This paper probes a straightforward question: Why did Russia attack Ukraine in February 2022? Anchored in a comparative foreign policy perspective, the research provides a theoretical framework clarifying the external and internal factors of a state’s foreign policy. External factors assume that a state’s foreign policy is constrained by the structure of the international system from three unique theoretical lenses: realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Internal factors assume that a state’s foreign policy is a product of interactions among several institutions, interest groups, public opinion, and personals within its borders. The research concludes that the external factors explaining the Russian invasion of Ukraine are realist (geopolitics, energy super-state, and a great power status), constructivist (a shift in the Russian foreign policy trends throughout the last twenty years, from territorial integrity to the right of self-determination of all Slavic citizens in southern and eastern Europe), and liberalist rationales (energy versus sanctions as tools at the disposal of both Russia and the West). The research contends that internal factors explaining the Russian invasion of Ukraine are history and culture (Russian expansionist pattern), Russian strategic culture (a combination of conflicting orientations), Putin’s regime and bureaucracies (his control over power and the support of the siloviki), Putin’s cognitive system (Alexsander III’s notions), and the public opinion and the church.