Subversive Narratives and Status-Seeking: A Look at Russia's Outreach to the Developing World After the Ukraine War *

Abstract

The amplification of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022 marked a turning point in relations between Russia and the “Collective West.” Moscow was cut off from Europe and subjected to sanctions and diplomatic isolation. In response, Russia turned to new partners in the Global South (especially in Africa) and intensified its criticism of the Western-dominated liberal international order. It has also unleashed propaganda narratives that depict the existing world system as a hegemonic and oppressive arrangement aimed at preserving the privileged position of the West at the expense of the non-West. This paper contextualizes these developments using the popular Larson-Shevchenko framework of social identity theory. I argue that Russia not only challenges the existing order by invading countries, but seeks to undermine its normative foundations with weaponized narratives, while also cynically attempting to frame Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine as an anti-colonial response to Western hegemony.