Summary: The lessons which the international community have drawn thus far from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine have been dominated by the necessity of measures in the military sphere. However, the war has also exposed weaknesses in the soft power field – such as polarisation along political and geographic boundaries – as well as illuminated the role of exclusion, the underestimation of societies’ potential reform, and the domination of neopatriarchy in contemporary politics and international relations.

Dr Leila Alieva, an Affiliate of REES, Oxford School for Global and Area Studies (OSGA), shares her analysis of these themes, based on her research and lived experience.

Read the author’s in depth article here.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not reflect the views of The Foreign Policy Centre.