Russia's Strategic Culture and Geopolitics in Europe

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which many in Europe interpreted as part of President Putin’s ambitions to redefine the European regional order established after World War II. This order imposed structural constraints and introduced reliance on collective security in order to check Russia’s long-held ambitions. However, despite the systemic constraints and collective security, Russia has continued observing Eastern Europe through a historical lens wherein Russia’s strategic and geopolitical choices have continued to be influenced by its strategic culture. This study investigates how Russia’s geopolitical behavior and strategic preferences are shaped by its strategic culture. Primarily, it analyzes the role of Russian strategic culture as the most important variable, persuading Russian policymakers to pursue assertive geopolitics. It also focuses on the factors that diminish the impact of structural constraints in Russia’s geopolitical behavior.