This article uses the Marxist theory of imperialism to analyze the war in Ukraine that broke out in March 2022. It analyzes the evolution of the socioeconomic system of post-Soviet Russia, the evolving relationship between post-Soviet Russia and the US government, and the history of relations between Russia and Ukraine. It considers the role of nationalist ideology in Russia both before and after the demise of the Soviet Union. The article concludes that a relation of inter-imperialist rivalry played a key role in the conflict that led to the war in Ukraine.
LeninVladimir Ilich. [1917] 1939. Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism. New York, NY: International Publishers.
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LiZhongjinKotzDavid M.2021. Is China imperialist? Economy, state, and insertion in the global system. Review of Radical Political Economics53 (4): 600–10.
