The Role of Fighting in Russian National Security Strategies

Abstract Russia’s confrontational vectors of foreign politics and propaganda of enmity in domestic politics reinforce its image as a besieged fortress fighting for its survival. This article argues that such fighting can be traced in Russia’s National Security Strategies, adopted in 2009, 2015, and 2021. Additionally, considering the rather monolithic worldview of Russian elites, these strategies may reflect how they comprehend fighting and war in politics. This research draws on theories of the ontology of war, elaborated by Tarak Barkawi and Shane Brighton, and the concept of enemies. The mixed-methods approach of critical discourse analysis combined with quantitative analysis of the content reveals that fighting, and war in general, occupy a central place in Russian strategic thinking which may reflect the Russian elites’ growing reliance on fighting as a driver of sociopolitical changes.