UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR THROUGH THE LENS OF OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE REALISM

Abstract

The Ukraine-Russia war is one of the most significant events which started in 2022 and now it has entered into its third year. Before the invasion of Russia in Ukraine liberalism was dominating and the United States maintained its liberal order. This invasion has remarkably shifted the liberal perspective back to Realpolitik creating a need to analyze this issue through the lens of realism. This research has aimed to analyze the case through the theory of offensive and defensive realism, through the qualitative-deductive method, as this war is the exposition that war is inevitable. The strategic dynamics, between major players Russia, Ukraine and the United States as perceived through the lens of realism, have shifted to counter the powers of each other. The findings of this research show that there has been a shift in strategic dynamics for instance, the buffer state is in Europe which is ultimately threatening European security, the NATO expansion towards Ukraine has escalated the war as it is considered to be the red line for Russia, security threat to Russia caused the invasion of Ukraine which has become the global security concern. Moreover, Nuclear deterrence a strategic move has countered the other sovereign states to intervene from the Russian side. In this era of advancement, nuclear technology has also exceeded, and the showcase of nuclear nukes in the previous century is still unforgettable. In the initial stage of this war, Russia was unexpectedly halted by the West through economic sanctions and munition provisions. Afterward, Russia managed to cope with this and fought back with both strategic and political means, with the move of new alliances. The West has also managed to strengthen its alliances in terms of NATO enlargement and expanded its defense budget. The geopolitical power struggle has risen again in this context. Russia an ex-Soviet empire contesting the regional hegemony in the region Eurasia. In this nexus, European security is a challenge that needs to be explored in depth for its futuristic approach which is an ultimatum to global security.