Dück, Elena; S ahl, Be nha d
A icle — Published Ve sion
In oduc ion: The Russia–Uk aine Wa as aFo ma i e
E en in Global Secu i y Policy?
Poli ische Vie eljah essch i
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Sp inge Na u e
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Dück, Elena; S ahl, Be nha d (2025) : In oduc ion: The Russia–Uk aine Wa as
aFo ma i e E en in Global Secu i y Policy?, Poli ische Vie eljah essch i , ISSN 1862-2860, Sp inge
Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, Wiesbaden, Vol. 66, Iss. 1, pp. 1-17,
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Poli ische Vie eljah essch i (2025) 66:1–17
In oduc ion: The Russia–Uk aine Wa as a Fo ma i e
E en in Global Secu i y Policy?
Elena Dück · Be nha d S ahl
Recei ed: 21 June 2024 / Re ised: 27 Janua y 2025 / Accep ed: 14 Feb ua y 2025 / Published online: 10
Ma ch 2025
© The Au ho (s) 2025, co ec ed publica ion 2025
Abs ac The Russian ull-scale in asion o Uk aine on 24 Feb ua y 2022 was
pe cei ed as a shock by Wes e n Eu opean publics and obse e s alike. Thus, when
Ge man Chancello Ola Scholz announced an epochal change, a Zei enwende in
Ge man o eign policy, he e m became a keywo d in he poli ical as well as he
academic discussion abou he changes ha he Russia–Uk aine wa b ough abou .
The in oduc ion o his special issue s a s by empi ically ske ching he eac ions
o in e na ional ac o s o he a ack. In addi ion, he naming o he con lic dese es
some a en ion conside ing he no ma i e issues o he con lic . A b ie s a e-o - he-
a analysis demons a es how he con ibu ions a e loca ed in he academic deba e.
Theo e ically speaking, he ull-scale in asion o Uk aine e i es a long-s anding
(on ological) deba e abou con inui y and he possibili y o change in in e na ional
poli ics and o eign policy. The p esen a ion o he single con ibu ions pays espec
o hese heo e ical pe spec i es and add esses change h ough he p ism o di -
e en coun ies (Ge many, B azil, Poland, he Uni ed S a es, B azil), ansna ional
ac o s, eligious ac o s, p i a e mili a y companies, and in e na ional law. O e all,
he indings challenge he idea o he Russia–Uk aine wa as a o ma i e e en in
global secu i y policy and con ibu e o a mo e nuanced unde s anding o he wa ’s
implica ions and consequences.
Keywo ds Russia–Uk aine wa · Reac ions o he wa · Change in global secu i y
policy · Implica ions o wo ld o de · Fo eign policy change
Elena Dück
Uni e si y o Wü zbu g, Wü zbu g, Ge many
Be nha d S ahl
Uni e si y o Passau, Passau, Ge many
E-Mail: Be nha d.S [email protected]
K
2E.Dück,B.S ahl
Einlei ung: de Russland-Uk aine-K ieg als p ägendes E eignis in de
globalen Siche hei spoli ik?
Zusammen assung De ussische Einma sch in die Uk aine am 24. Feb ua 2022
wu de on de wes eu opäischen Ö en lichkei und Beobach e n gleiche maßen als
Schock emp unden. Als Bundeskanzle Ola Scholz einen epochalen Wandel, eine
Zei enwende in de deu schen Außenpoli ik ankündig e, wu de de Beg i dahe
zu einem Schlüsselwo in de poli ischen, abe auch wissenscha lichen Diskussi-
on übe die Ve ände ungen, die de Russland-Uk aine-K ieg mi sich geb ach ha .
In de Einlei ung des Sonde he es we den zunächs die Reak ionen de in e na-
ionalen Ak eu e au den Ang i empi isch skizzie . Da übe hinaus e dien die
Namensgebung des Kon lik s angesich s de no ma i en F agen des Kon lik s eine
gewisse Au me ksamkei . Eine ku ze S a e-o - he-a -Analyse zeig , wie die Bei ä-
ge in de wissenscha lichen Deba e e o e sind. Theo e isch gesehen beleb de
Einma sch in die Uk aine eine langjäh ige (on ologische) Deba e übe Kon inui ä
und die Möglichkei des Wandels in de in e na ionalen Poli ik und Außenpoli ik.
Die Da s ellung de einzelnen Bei äge äg diese heo e ischen Pe spek i e Rech-
nung und hema isie den Wandel in Bezug au e schiedene Lände (Deu schland,
Polen, USA, B asilien), ansna ionale Ak eu e, hie eligiöse Ak eu e und PMCs,
und das Völke ech . Insgesam s ellen die E gebnisse de Bei äge die Vo s ellung
om ussisch-uk ainischen K ieg als einem p ägenden E eignis ü die globalen
Siche hei spoli ik in F age und agen zu einem di e enzie e en Ve s ändnis de
Implika ionen und Folgen des K ieges bei.
Schlüsselwö e Russisch-uk ainische K ieg · Reak ionen au den K ieg · Wandel
de globalen Siche hei sa chi ek u · Auswi kungen au die Wel o dnung ·
Außenpoli ische Wandel
1 Ou line o he Special Issue
The Russian ull-scale in asion o Uk aine on 24 Feb ua y 2022 was pe cei ed as
a shock by Wes e n Eu opean publics and many obse e s.1Despi e he ongoing con-
lic be ween Russia and Uk aine since 2014, he Russian a ack sha e ed che ished
belie s abou he na u e o he Eu opean pos wa o de . In pa icula , he aming o
he wa as a “Zei enwende” in he Ge man discou se poin ed o a undamen al shi ,
a o ma i e e en ha would lead o a global change in secu i y policy. The con-
lic has been in e p e ed as a “ca alys o eshaping global wo ld o de ” (Fo sbe g
and Pa omäki 2023), wi h a - eaching consequences ha agg a a e con o e sies
abou “o de (s) and hegemony, in e na ional law and i s (im)pa iali y, Sou h–No h
1This su p ise by some o he obse e s also sheds ligh on a Wes e n-cen ic pe spec i e in he Ge man
deba e and a lack o engagemen wi h oices om he egion. Fo a discussion on he pa ha “Wes e n”
knowledge p oduc ion plays in he epea ed su p ise abou poli ical e en s in he Global Sou h and Eas ,
see Ho ius (2024).
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In oduc ion: The Russia–Uk aine Wa as a Fo ma i e E en in Global Secu i y Policy? 3
ela ions, and he p ospec s o and condi ions o global coope a ion” (Baciu e al.
2024).
Le us b ie ly ecall global eac ions o he Russia–Uk aine wa . Reac ions could
be ca ego ized in ou ways. Fi s , a coun y could condemn he in asion, pa icipa e
in he sanc ions agains Russia, and deli e a ms o Uk aine. I should be no ed
ha , legally speaking, he lag an iola ion o he Uni ed Na ions (UN) cha e
e en allows o sending oops o Uk aine, as in he 1991 I aq case, bu —and his
is al eady no ewo hy—no one o he 150 s a es he o ically sympa hizing wi h
Uk aine (see he Gene al Assembly esolu ion o Ma ch 2022) is doing so. Second,
a coun y migh he o ically side wi h Uk aine bu e ain om sending a ms o
pa icipa ing in sanc ions. Thi d, coun ies could s ay neu al and a oid aking sides.
And ou h, coun ies could suppo Russia by sending oops and a ms, de ending
i s cause, and assis ing in ci cum en ing sanc ions.
O e all, he coun ies a ibu ed o he Wes u ned ou o be as uni ed as ha dly
be o e since he end o he Cold Wa . The Russia–Uk aine wa is e en called he
g ea es ede a o o Eu opean and Wes e n in eg a ion (G osse 2023). Shining ex-
amples we e he o me ly neu al Sweden and he nonaligned Finland ha acceded
he No h A lan ic T ea y O ganiza ion (NATO). The alliance, al eady wa ned by
Russian p o oca ion o NATO ai space in ecen yea s and he annexa ion o C imea
in 2014, eac ed o he ull-scale in asion by launching sanc ions and ac i a ing
NATO’s de ense plans (NATO 2022). The G oup o Se en (G7), oo, s ongly con-
demned he in asion and made u he p omises o p o ide all kinds o suppo o
Uk aine (G7 s a emen Sep embe 2024, Auswä iges Am 2025). The Eu opean
Union (EU) almos uni ocally sided wi h Uk aine, and e en coun ies wi h p o-
Russian eli es, such as F ance, Ge many, I aly, and G eece, joined he cho us o
hose backing Uk aine. In I aly, o ins ance, e en a e he elec ions o he au o-
c a ic-minded Lega and he pos ascis B o he s o I aly, he Meloni go e nmen
pu sues a s aunch an i-Russian cou se, agains in e nal pushback (Fasola and Lu-
ca elli 2024). In he EU, only Hunga y and, mo e ecen ly, Slo akia opposed he
EU’s sanc ions egime, while e en he emaining neu al s a es in Eu ope (Aus-
ia, Swi ze land, Mal a, I eland) pa icipa ed (BBC 2022; Consilium 2025; I eland
Depa men o En e p ise, T ade and Employmen 2025;Reu e s2024). In addi-
ion, he coun ies o he Global Eas and Sou h, which a e commonly pe cei ed as
Wes e n allies (Japan, Sou h Ko ea, Taiwan, Aus alia, New Zealand), sha ed he
Wes e n iew and pa icipa ed in he sanc ions egime agains Russia (S&P Global
Ma ke In elligence 2025). Beyond he unde s ood Wes , he pic u e becomes mo e
nuanced. Many coun ies o he Global Sou h he o ically condemned he wa in UN
esolu ions bu do no pu he blame en i ely on Russia (e.g. Pakis an, Cambodia,
Aze baijan, and Rwanda, as well as he Holy See). Consequen ly, no coun y in he
Middle Eas (including Is ael and Tu key), A ica, o La in Ame ica pa icipa ed in
he sanc ions egime agains Russia. No ably, such a posi ioning allowed he NATO
membe Tu key o e ec i ely ac as a media o o Uk aine and Russia ega ding
hei whea expo s ia he Black Sea. The conce n ega ding he whea expo s ig-
ge ed a poli ical ini ia i e by he A ican Union o u ge bo h coun ies o es ablish
a cease i e, while a he same ime calling on “ he Russian Fede a ion and any o he
egional o in e na ional ac o o impe a i ely espec in e na ional law, he e i o ial
K
4E.Dück,B.S ahl
in eg i y and na ional so e eign y o Uk aine” (AU 2022), ye he A ican Union
ied o s ick o a nonaligned s ance o e all (S aeck 2023). Simila ly, al hough a ma-
jo i y o membe s a es had o ed agains Russia in he UN, he Sou he n Common
Ma ke (Me cosu ), he Communi y o La in Ame ican and Ca ibbean S a es (Gijs
and Ba igazzi 2023), and he Associa ion o Sou heas Asian Na ions (Yog Shah and
Pachaly 2025) main ained a a he neu al posi ion despi e U.S. and EU p essu e.
The mo e sh ugging posi ioning is-à- is he wa becomes e en mo e p onounced
when i comes o he g ea and egional powe s as o ganised in he so-called BRICS
(B azil, India, China, Sou h A ica) in 2022. Thei lamen ing o he ou b eak o he
wa goes along wi h an o e all neu al posi ion. While B azil o ed in a ou o
he UN esolu ion condemning Russian agg ession, India, China, and Sou h A ica
abs ained om he o e, and none o hem pa icipa e in sanc ions agains Russia
o a ms deli e ies o Uk aine. A mo e de ailed e iew o hei posi ions e eals
ha China upholds Russia’s jus i ica ion o he wa as being p o oked by he Wes
(Nadka ni e al. 2024), while B azil and India pu emphasis on diploma ic solu ions
wi hou placing blame on Russia (Belém Lopez and Vazquéz 2024;Ve ma2024).
B azil and India do no pe cei e i o be in hei economic o s a egic in e es o
align wi h he Wes . All h ee coun ies, China, India and B azil, ex ended hei
ade ela ions wi h Russia and ha e hi eco d highs in hei ade alues wi h he
coun y since he Russian in asion (Business Inside 2024; The Economic Times
2024;Reu e s2025). Al hough hey ecei ed ha sh c i icism om Wes e n media
and poli icians o his, i should be no ed ha hei o eign policy beha iou can be
in e p e ed as a me e con inua ion o he nonaligned policy in he Cold Wa and hei
scep icism abou he hi d I aq wa (2003). The BRICS membe s also succeeded in
wa e ing down he G20 s a emen on Uk aine, o he dismay o he Wes e n membe s
(The Gua dian 2024). Finally, he small g oup o Russia suppo e s should no go
unmen ioned. Bela us, E i ea, No h Ko ea, and Sy ia o ed agains he esolu ions
in he UN Gene al Assembly (Uni ed Na ions 2022). Bela us allowed Russian oops
o s a he a ack on Kyi om i s e i o y (bu did no mee Russian eques s o
deli e oops; Coakley 2022), Sy ia (unde Assad) ied o ec ui olun ee s o
he on in Uk aine (The Gua dian 2022), and i was No h Ko ea ha sen some
housands o soldie s o s abilise he on in he Ku sk egion (Ng 2024).
This o e iew sugges s ha while he Russian in asion was a shock o Eu ope, he
same migh no hold ue on a global scale. Al hough d as ic o eign policy change
was announced in Ge many and can be obse ed in o he EU coun ies—mos
no iceably in Sweden, which abandoned i s 200-yea -old success ul neu ali y pol-
icy—e en wi hin he EU, he sanc ions on Russia a e no comple ely uncon es ed.
Mo eo e , he “usual suspec s” o he p o-Wes e n camp ollowed he Biden admin-
is a ion in i s c i ical posi ion on Russia. In he Global Sou h, hough, con inui y
p e ails in hei policies owa ds Russia, wi h only mino inc emen al and some
adap i e changes in o eign policies. Gi en he unce ain s ance o he new T ump
adminis a ion on Russia and on suppo o Uk aine, change migh be obse able
in compa ison o he Biden adminis a ion. Howe e , any change in U.S. o eign
policy unde T ump is unlikely o be in suppo o a ules-based in e na ional o -
de . Recalling he di e en beha iou al camps discussed p e iously, change is-à-
is Russia is mos ly immanen in he i s ca ego y (suppo o Uk aine) and in
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In oduc ion: The Russia–Uk aine Wa as a Fo ma i e E en in Global Secu i y Policy? 5
he ou h (suppo o Russia). The la ge majo i y o s a es (ca ego ies wo and
h ee) only he o ically denounce Russia’s a ack o s ay neu al, wi h con inui y
ca ying he day. The in e na ional o ganisa ions and ins i u ions—indeb ed o hei
in e go e nmen al na u e—a e likely o ollow he di ec ion o he s onges membe
s a es. This admi edly ske chy o e iew calls in o ques ion he idea ha he Rus-
sia–Uk aine wa was a o ma i e e en in global poli ics igge ing massi e o eign
policy change.
Thus, bea ing in mind ha he ela ion be ween change and con inui y in in-
e na ional ela ions (IR) is no o iously ha d o concep ualise and ha he las ing
e ec s o con lic s on he global o de a e ha d o p edic , we in i ed con ibu ions
o engage wi h he ques ion o how he Russia–Uk aine wa changed in e na ional
ac o s’ pe spec i es on hei ole in he wo ld o de and wha s uc u al changes
we e p omp ed. O e all, he indings o he con ibu ions challenge he idea o he
Russia–Uk aine wa as a o ma i e e en in global secu i y policy and con ibu e
o a mo e nuanced unde s anding o he wa ’s implica ions and consequences. The
no ion o change is add essed h ough he p ism o di e en coun ies (Ge many,
B azil, Poland, Uni ed S a es), ansna ional ac o s, eligious ac o s, p i a e mili a y
companies (PMCs), and in e na ional law.
Be o e we discuss he con ibu ions o he single a icles in his special issue,
we i s cla i y he e minology o his special issue. We hen p o ide an o e iew
o he s a e o he a , loca ing he a icles in his special issue wi hin he b oade
discussion on he changes in global poli ics and he consequences o he wa .
2 Naming he Con lic
S udying and w i ing abou wa s en ails no ma i e conside a ions. The way in which
we clus e explana ions, he sou ces ha we as schola s ampli y, and he wo ds ha
we use o desc ibe a con lic con ibu e o he pe cep ion o poli ical e en s. In he
case o he Russia–Uk aine wa , e en naming he wa has become a poli ised issue.
P esiden Pu in did no use he e m wa o desc ibe his in asion o Uk aine o
he i s 10 mon hs o he ongoing con lic , ins ead e e ing o a “special mili a y
ope a ion” (Gigo a and Mogul 2022). Howe e , e en be o e he Russian in asion,
he e had been deba es abou how o desc ibe he con lic in eas e n Uk aine, as
cha ac e isa ions o ci il wa o a wa o secession migh i ialise Russian agg es-
sion and i s impe ial ambi ions (Gomza 2022; S akho 2023). While i is common
ha mul iple designa ions o he same con lic exis — o ins ance, in he case o he
U.S. in asion o I aq in 2003, some o he desc ip o s include I aq Wa , Second o
Thi d Gul Wa , and I aq Occupa ion Wa — e lec ion on he e ms ha au ho s use
has gained ac ion. Some schola s would p e e neu al e ms ha eme ge om he
signi icance o he wa (“Fi s Wo ld Wa ”), he da e he wa was s a ed (“Yom Kip-
pu Wa ”), i s du a ion (“Thi y Yea s’ Wa ”), geog aphic denomina ions (“C imean
Wa ”), o he con lic ing pa ies in ol ed (“Aus o–P ussian Wa ”; c . Singe 2006).
In con as , we would like o s ess ha al hough e e ing o da es and con lic ing
pa ies migh be mo e neu al han e e ing o he signi icance o a wa , he ac o
naming wa s is a p ocess o o de ing in e na ional poli ics and can he e o e ne e
K
6E.Dück,B.S ahl
be conside ed uly neu al. O as Axel Heck pu s i in his special issue: “Whe he
Russia’s mo e on Uk aine’s e i o y is conside ed an ‘in asion’ [...] o an ac o
‘sel -de ense’ is al eady he esul o discu si e p ocesses— ega dless o how ob-
ious we migh hink he issue is” (Heck 2024). Thus, we ag eed on naming his
special issue “The Russia–Uk aine Wa as a Fo ma i e E en in Global Secu i y
Policy”, using e minology ha does no igno e one con lic ing pa y as would, o
ins ance, “Uk aine Wa ”. Howe e , we did no p esc ibe a pa icula name o he
au ho s in his special issue o use. Hence, he au ho s chose di e en denomina o s,
anging om “Uk aine wa ” (McLa en 2024) and “wa in Uk aine” (Reinold 2024)
o Russo–Uk ainian wa (Scho leme 2024).
3 S a e o he A
When examining ecen a icles dealing wi h he wa , h ee opics s and ou .2Fi s ,
he easons and causes o he wa a e co e ed, dealing wi h sys emic-le el expla-
na ions such as Wes e n esponsibili y o he wa , NATO expansion, a declining
libe al wo ld o de , o a ailu e o diplomacy. The s a e-le el explana ions g asp
Russian mo i es o going o wa , he Russian sel -image, he Wes e n o ien a ion
in Uk aine, in e nal di isions wi hin Uk aine, and a iew o he Uni ed S a es as an
agg esso s a e. Fo ins ance, Pa k (2022) sees a mo i e o he wa in he declining
wo ld o de , while Kuzio (2022) claims ha he Wes migh be esponsible, and
Ko uno (2022) concei es o i as a con lic be ween au oc acies and democ acies.
Russian easons o he wa a e discussed in di e en dimensions such as Pu in’s
ea o humilia ion (Molloy 2023), economic easons (Law ence 2022), impe ial-
ism (Pa k 2022), eligion (Benedik e 2023), and ascism in Russia (Khoda ko sky
2022). Rema kably, he e a e e y ew con ibu ions looking o easons o wa
wi hin Uk aine (Dun o d 2023). The “Wes e n-domina ing pe spec i es and Russia-
cen ic amewo ks” lead o esea ch “ ha commonly igno e[s] o e ase[s] Uk ainian
pe spec i es and agency” (Hendl e al. 2024, p. 173) and silences Uk ainian oices
(ibid., p. 190). In a simila ein, Bu lyuk and Musliu (2023) published a special
o um dedica ed o he poli ics o knowledge p oduc ion o IR on he Russian wa
in Uk aine, desc ibing he s a us quo o subjec s and subjec i i ies as “ha m ul and
in ellec ually unsus ainable” (ibid., p. 613 .).
Second, many a icles deal wi h he cha ac e isa ion o he wa . The wa is de-
sc ibed as a su p ising e en , as Wes /Eas o sys emic con on a ion, and he o m
o he wa and he wa a e a e discussed. Fo example, he wa is depic ed as a con-
lic abou e i o ies ha ma e o he Wes and Eas (Jo i´
c2022), as a sign o
di e en unde s andings abou bo de s by he Wes and Eas (Wehne 2023), o
as a Wes s. Eas (Allin and Jones 2022; Allison 2022; Kane 2022)o aRussia
s. he Wes con on a ion (Allison 2022). Flynn (2022) s aigh o wa dly calls i
2The ollowing li e a u e e iew is based on a manusc ip ha has sys ema ically examined mo e han 200
a icles on he wa ha ha e been published in in e na ional ela ions jou nals o six publishe s (Sp inge ,
JSTOR, Sage, Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, Taylo and F ancis, Ox o d Uni e si y P ess) since he s a o
he ull-scale in asion (Maaßen and S ahl 2024).
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In oduc ion: The Russia–Uk aine Wa as a Fo ma i e E en in Global Secu i y Policy? 7
a “Cold Wa 2.0”, and Noonan (2023) desc ibes he wa as “con lic be ween Russia,
Uk aine, he Uni ed S a es, he No h A lan ic T ea y O ganiza ion, and he Eu opean
Union”. Rega ding Russian wa a e, schola s esea ch Russia’s legi ima ion o i s
ac ions in he wa (Ro a u 2022), Russian ac ics and mili a y cul u e (Malya enko
and Ko mych 2023), and shi s in i s ac ics (ibid., Minic 2023) amongs i s gene al
wa a e. Uk aine, in compa ison, mainly appea s as a mili a y and sel -de ending
ac o (Gady and Ko man 2023; Lindelau e al. 2023; Sande s 2022), especially
when i comes o Uk aine’s will o wi hs and, and i s cohesion agains , he Russian
agg ession (Gould-Da ies 2022; Allin 2022; Kulyk 2023).
Thi d, a s and o scien i ic con ibu ions aims a illumina ing he consequences
o he wa , mos ly dealing wi h h ea pe cep ions. The wa —o o en Russia—is
po ayed as a h ea owa ds o he en i ies. The wo ld o de (G an 2022)and he
alues and ins i u ions o Wes e n ci ilisa ion (Allin 2022), Eu ope (F eudlspe ge
and Schimmel ennig 2022; A ies e al. 2023), and speci ically he Bal ic Sea egion
(C ow he 2023) a e h ea ened by he wa : “we a e wi nessing he unde mining
o he e y ounda ions o in e na ional ules-based o de ” (Fajon 2023). When
ea ing he beha iou o hi d coun ies, neu al s a es play a special ole, and hei
neu ali y is o en discussed ex ensi ely—India being a case in poin (e.g. Jag iani
and Wellek 2022;Ve ma2024; Vishwana h and Mukund 2022). Ye he e a e also
a ew cases ha pinpoin he Wes (NATO o he Uni ed S a es) as a h ea owa ds
Russia: “K emlin o icials pe cei ed Uk aine’s d i owa d he Wes as a majo
h ea o bo h Russia’s secu i y in e es s” (Allin 2022). Mo e ecen ly, a special
issue o he Zei sch i ü In e na ionale Beziehungen (Geis e al. 2024) ouches
upon he consequences o he wa o heo y-building, calling o a c i ical e lec ion
o knowledge p oduc ion in IR.
The a icles in his special issue i in o his pic u e by con ibu ing o his hi d
s and o li e a u e, he consequences o he wa o di e en coun ies such as Ge -
many (Nabe s and S engel 2025; Heck 2024), he Uni ed S a es (Riege 2024), and
B azil (Scho leme 2024); o he poli y o secu i y (Dö le 2024); o ansna ional
eligious ac o s (McLa en 2024); o in e na ional law (Reinold 2024); and o he
Eu opean mig a ion egime (Dück e al. 2024).
4 Theo e ical Pe spec i es o he Con ibu ions
Theo e ically, i seems wo hwhile in his issue o illus a e he “enabling pa h”
om an e en (he e, he s a o ull-scale wa in Uk aine) o an ou come (i.e. policy
change) in a social cons uc i is pe spec i e. The pa hway begins wi h an e en ha
becomes “ o ma i e” (B euning 2007, p. 79), ha ing an impac no only on o eign
policy decision-making bu mo e gene ally on o eign policy ou comes. Mo ing
om ac o s o ideal s uc u es, he ques ion a ises how and why a speci ic IR e en
igge s o eign policy lea ning and subsequen policy changes (Rei e 1996). Thus,
when Ge man Chancello Ola Scholz announced an epochal change, a Zei enwende,
in Ge man o eign policy, he e m became a keywo d in he discussion abou he
changes ha he Russia–Uk aine wa b ough abou . On an empi ical le el, he
announcemen aised he ques ion o whe he his speech induced a deepe , las ing
K
8E.Dück,B.S ahl
change o Ge man o eign policy ha is g ounded in changed eli e (c . Bunde
2022; Dück and S ahl 2023) and public o eign policy a i udes owa ds he con lic
and Russia (Made and Schoen 2023). Ye beyond such a coun y- and o eign
policy–speci ic app oach, he ongoing wa seems o ask mo e undamen al ques ions
abou i s impac on IR. Fo ins ance, he Russian in asion uels he ongoing deba e
abou he end o he “libe al in e na ional o de ” (Ikenbe y 2018) and shi s in
global secu i y poli ics ha s a ed a lo ea lie han Feb ua y 2022 (c . Hellmann
2017).
Taking his in o accoun , upon close examina ion he wa aises h ee heo e ical
issues ha need o be add essed: Fi s and o emos , he ull-scale in asion o Uk aine
e i es a long-s anding (on ological) deba e abou con inui y and he possibili y
o change in in e na ional poli ics and o eign policy (c . Alden and A an 2012;
Ba ne 1999;He mann1990; Gus a sson 1999;Hols i2016; Medick-K akau 1999;
Subo i´
c2016; Welch 2005). I seems ha pa icula ly undamen al o eign policy
change s ill looks unde esea ched (Haeseb ouck and Joly 2021, p. 483). Second,
he con ibu ions in his special issue engage wi h he ques ion o whe e—on which
analy ical le el—and how change did o did no occu . This is also linked o he
no ma i e ques ion o wha kind o change is desi able. Thi d, he con ibu ions
add ess he issue o how changes in o eign policy and in IR a e legi imised. The
con ibu ions sha e he no ion ha discou se and na a i es play an impo an ole
in making change possible: by changing he possibili y space o o eign policies
in he sho e m, while scope, con en , and ou each o exis ing ins i u ions o he
in e na ional sys em may be al e ed in he long e m.
On ologically, he con ibu ions ange om adi ional o eign policy/English
School app oaches (Scho leme ; McLa en) and in e na ional law in e p e a ions
(Reinold) o libe al model applica ions (Dö le ) ia econs uc i e discou se s udies
(Riege , Heck) o pos s uc u alis a icles (Nabe s and S engel) and c i ical s ud-
ies (Dück, Weisne , and The enin). Epis emologically, quali a i e me hods p e ail.
Finally, no ma i i y in mos cases ollows he claims o he ou h deba e o IR, a -
ibu ing i o he heo ies employed. F om a c i ical pe spec i e, no ma i i y is a he
co e o he a gumen (Dück e al.). The adi ional o eign policy (Scho leme ), he
econs uc i e discou se-analy ical (Riege ; Heck), and he pos s uc u alis pe spec-
i es (Nabe s and S engel) poin o he esea ch ques ion and he no ma i i y implied
( he Global Sou h’s s i ing o equali y, he Ge man pa ies’ leaning owa ds Rus-
sia, T ump’s e a icism), while he model applica ion, he in e na ional law, and he
English School s udies ely on he meneu ic easoning (Dö le , Reinold, McLa en).
When app oaching c isis as a co e concep o add ess o eign policy change, F ank
S engel’s and Di k Nabe s’s pape “C isis and Change in Pos -Zei enwende Ge man
Secu i y Policy” emba ks om Cha les He man’s unde s anding o c isis as a “a si -
ua ion ha (1) h ea ens high-p io i y goals o he decision-making uni , (2) es ic s
he amoun o ime a ailable o esponse be o e he decision is ans o med, and
(3) su p ises he membe s o he decision-making uni by i s occu ence”(He mann
1969). By ecognising c isis as an “unde lying p inciple o socie y” (Nabe s 2017,
p. 419), hey o e a heo e ically ich concep ualisa ion o c isis and show, based
on a quan i a i e discou se analysis, how c ises such as he wa on Uk aine open up
space o discu si e change (e.g. he Zei enwende in Ge many) and make possible
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