Soft Power Lessons from Russia’s War: How to Overcome Polarisation and Strengthen Liberal Democracy
The European Neighborhood Council (ENC) released its new analysis titled “Soft Power Lessons from Russia’s War: How to Overcome Polarisation and Strengthen Liberal Democracy.”
The article is written by Dr. Leila Alieva, ENC Academic Council Member and an affiliate of Russian and East European Studies, Oxford University School for Global Arena Studies.
The international community has mainly focused on military actions in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. However, the war has revealed important insights that go beyond the battlefield, showing major weaknesses in soft power strategies. In fact, the war in Ukraine increased political and geographic divisions, highlighted the harmful effects of exclusion, shown that societies’ abilities to reform, and exposed the domination of neopatriarchy in contemporary politics. In this ENC Analysis, Dr. Leila Alieva discusses how addressing these issues through inclusive approaches can mitigate polarization and contribute to a more resilient and unified international order.
The full paper is available here.
