A Ghost in the Mirror: Russian Soft Power in Ukraine

http://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/papers/view/181667

Chatham House Briefing Paper

A Ghost in the Mirror: Russian Soft Power in Ukraine

Alexander Bogomolov and Oleksandr Lytvynenko

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Summary Points

For Russia, maintaining influence over Ukraine is more than a foreign policy priority; it is an existential imperative. Many in Russia's political elite perceive Ukraine as part of their country's own identity.

Russia's socio-economic model limits its capacity to act as a pole of attraction for Ukraine. As a result, Russia relies on its national myths to devise narratives and projects intended to bind Ukraine in a 'common future' with Russia and other post-Soviet states.

These narratives are translated into influence in Ukraine through channels such as the Russian Orthodox Church, the mass media, formal and informal business networks, and non-governmental organizations.

Russia also achieves influence in Ukraine by mobilizing constituencies around politically sensitive issues such as language policy and shared cultural and historical legacies. This depends heavily on symbolic resources and a deep but often clumsy engagement in local identity politics.

Russia's soft power project with regard to Ukraine emphasizes cultural and linguistic boundaries over civic identities, which is ultimately a burden for both countries.

For a full list of publications from the Russia and Eurasia Programme, go to: http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/research/russia_eurasia/papers/