War as Survival? Russian Elite and Media Narratives (The Security Affair, Part 9)

Описание: In this video episode of The Security Affair, the Centre for International Security and Economic Strategy (CISES) examines how Russia frames war, negotiation, and power — and what that messaging reveals about Moscow’s strategic thinking.

As the war in Ukraine continues, Russian leaders describe the conflict in existential terms, insist they are “ready for negotiations,” and escalate militarily while signalling openness to talks. Is this contradiction — or doctrine?

Alexander Anderson, Director of Policy at CISES, is joined by Chris Monday, Associate Professor of Economics at Dongseo University and co-host of Russia Decoded from the Centre for the National Interest.

The discussion explores how Russian elites appear to understand power in the international system, how state media shapes both domestic and international audiences, and how coercive diplomacy, information control, and strategic silence operate in parallel.

Topics include:
– Framing war as existential necessity
– “Negotiation” as signalling and battlefield leverage
– The strategic use of the term “terrorism”
– Information management, repression, and public stability
– National unity messaging and regional war losses
– Western division as a strategic narrative target
– Strategic silence and agenda control
– Parallel escalation and diplomatic signalling
– Russia–China partnership and asymmetric dependence
– Status, hierarchy, and control over negotiation structure

This episode offers a policy-focused, non-partisan analysis of Russian strategic communication and its implications for negotiation, escalation, and international order.

The Security Affair is CISES’ flagship series examining the ideas, events, and decisions shaping defence, economics, and international security.