Russia in Global Affairs

How realistic are the current prospects for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, and why is Europe emerging as the principal source of uncertainty? In an interview with the Die Weltwoche, Fyodor Lukyanov examines the dynamics of the ongoing confrontation, the positions of its key stakeholders, and the factors that continue to hinder progress towards a political resolution.

Fyodor Lukyanov has a conversation with Hasan Ünal on the Strategic Compass programme. They discuss the renewed hostilities between Iran and the United States, Russia’s gradual military advances in Ukraine, and growing calls within Russian society and the political establishment for a more forceful strategy to bring the conflict to an end.

The confrontation over Ukraine is moving beyond the framework of a regional crisis, touching on the foundations of strategic stability and European security. Amid growing pressure on Russia, experts are increasingly discussing the limits of escalation and the instruments Moscow may use to restore deterrence.

Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine, has a conversation with T-House. He pointed out that the defining feature of China–Russia relations today is “stability.” High-level interactions between the two countries have become so frequent that there is no longer any need to deliberately create “special moments.”

“What happened in Iran has demonstrated to many Russians that there are absolutely no limits to what the Americans might be willing to do. They will do whatever they think is good for themselves, and that is it. And this is being projected onto everything else – including Ukraine.”

Fyodor Lukyanov has a conversation with The Peacemonger. He discusses how the war in Iran is being viewed in Moscow. On the one hand, Russia is benefitting short-term from the boost in oil prices. However, Iran is also a strategic partner to Russia, raising big questions about navigating US aggression while still maintaining contact between Trump and Putin in the interests of longer-term US-Russia relations.

The source of evil is old Europe, which has been the source of evil for humanity for 500 years: immense wars, two world wars, colonialism, racism, many other awful "isms" and now their post-human values. I think one of the strategic goals of our policy and also the policy of the "international community" is to move Europe away from the centre of the world stage and let them boil in their own juices, which are increasingly unsavoury and malodourous.

“One of Russia’s tasks, among others, is to bring Europe to its senses. Let us hope this can be done without the use of nuclear weapons – solely through the threat of their use. But sooner or later, if Europeans continue to support the war, sacrificing millions of Ukrainians, Russia’s patience and forbearance will run out, and we will have to punish them harshly – hopefully in a limited manner.”

‘Propaganda’ is therefore omnipresent across all sides of every form of discourse, so much so that its meaning can easily become flattened and diffuse.