Examining the Conflict between the United States and the Russian Federation in the Ukraine Crisis from the Window of Strategic Culture

Despite the existence of many issues in the relations between the Russian Federation and the United States, the crisis of 2022 in Ukraine is one of the important axes that during the recent period not only caused Washington and Moscow to face each other again, but its scope has gone beyond the national territory and has become an important issue in regional interactions and International has made a converter, the authors of this study have tried to answer the question of what effect the components of strategic culture have on the behavior patterns of Russian statesmen with a qualitative method and a descriptive-analytical approach. And the American in response to the crisis in Ukraine 2022? The hypothesis raised in front of the mentioned question points out that the conflict between the two countries in the Ukrainian scene can be considered strongly influenced by the cultural, value, geopolitical and historical foundations of the two countries, and based on this, war, resort to force, deterrence and strategy Meaning has been found. The findings of the research indicate that in the Ukraine crisis, the dream of great power and the return to the glory of the empire, geopolitical issues, negative attitude towards the intentions of rival activists, traditions related to the Orthodox Church and Russian nationalism, in contrast to the belief in the absolute power of the United States in the field of politics and International relations, and the continuation of the war until the unconditional surrender of the enemy have been placed

Introduction

The relationship between Russia and the United States has witnessed numerous ups and downs since the end of the Cold War. Following nearly two decades of cooperation and partnership, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 has transformed this cooperation into a full-fledged confrontation. Various theoretical discussions have emerged regarding this confrontation and its underlying reasons. One theory that can effectively explain this conflict is “strategic culture.” Based on this premise, this paper aims to address the question: How have the components of strategic culture influenced the behavioral patterns of Russian and American policymakers in response to the Ukrainian crisis of 2022? In response, it can be asserted that the confrontation between the two countries with regards to the Ukrainian crisis is strongly influenced by historical factors, geographical location, cultural factors and characteristics, religion, and the foundational values of both countries. In fact, both parties, based on cultural factors, individual narratives, and historical experiences, as well as geopolitical, ideological, and cultural considerations, have defined their thinking and actions regarding the use of force in the Ukraine conflict. They have adopted both hard and soft power options, sanctions, restoring transatlantic alliances, and deterrent strategies.
 
2.Theoretical Framework
 Strategic culture entered the literature of politics and international relations in the 1980s as a subset of a broader political culture, referring to the attitudes of members of a specific society toward national security, the military as an institution, and resorting to force in international relations. According to researchers in this field, the unique culture and narrative of a nation, as well as historical considerations, are crucial and fundamental variables in a country's national security strategy and its approach to war. Each country, based on its historical experiences, beliefs, cultural factors, and geographical and material limitations, enters the arena of activism and warfare in international relations. In an article, Laurie Johnson argued that the reasons for the Peloponnesian War should be sought more in the differences in the national and individual personalities of their leaders than in material and power considerations. Jack Snyder, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, introduced the term “strategic culture” to the literature of international relations for the first time in 1977, defining it as ‘the sum of ideas, conditioned emotional responses, and patterns of habitual behavior that members of a national strategic community share.’ Colin Gray, in another definition, regarded strategic culture as modes of thought and action with respect to force, which derives from perception of the national historical experience, from aspirations for responsible behavior in the international arena. Strategic culture is often characterized by continuity and stability, although it can undergo minor changes in some periods. In the field of international relations theories, strategic culture has a closer affinity with the structuralist approach. In fact, this theory bridges the gap between materialistic existentialist theories such as neorealism and idealistic theories such as constructivism. In essence, this paper focuses on the third generation of strategic culture studies, which considers the role of systemic variables alongside historical factors, their narratives from the past and present, historical experiences, and cultural and political factors in shaping the confrontation or cooperation between countries.
 

Methodology

This paper employs a qualitative methodology based on a descriptive-analytical approach. Based on the concept of strategic culture, an attempt has been made to elucidate the confrontation between Russia and the United States in the Ukraine crisis of 2022, using library sources, articles, as well as local and English analytical reports. 
 

Discussion

The vision of great power and the return to the glory of the Russian Empire, fear of external threats, a geopolitically centered approach and a tendency towards traditional geopolitics, the preservation of territorial integrity and expansion of territory, defense of the country as a sacred and necessary matter, exceptionalism, and having a special and civilizational mission constitute some of the components and ideals that form Russia's strategic culture. In contrast, the important ideals of the United States' strategic culture include an absolute sense of power in politics and international relations, exceptionalism, special emphasis on the values of liberal democracy, the necessity of governing the world based on these values, and continuing war until unconditional surrender of the enemy. It is noteworthy that these specified components within the framework of strategic culture have significantly shaped the nature of the foreign policy of the mentioned countries during the Ukraine crisis in 2022.
 

Conclusion and Suggestions

Our analysis indicates that in the Ukraine crisis of 2022, Russia and the United States, based on their narratives and historical experiences, as well as geopolitical motivations and considerations, foundational values and norms, have justified war, the use of force, and deterrence. According to this, they have attributed significant meaning to the nature of the enemy and the threat it poses. Both sides have attempted to justify their invasion of Ukraine and confronting the invasion with a civilizational outlook and mission. Based on this, Russia's approach can be characterized as defensive, and the United States' approach can be labeled as aggressive. The United States has adopted a comprehensive strategy, including both hard and soft power, comprehensive sanctions, and deterrence, as well as the reconstruction of alliances and a strategy of attrition, within the framework of its containment policy towards Russia. Russia too, inspired by its own strategic culture, has sought to justify its invasion of Ukraine. These strategic cultural components, characterized by a kind of continuity and stability, have led to a visible confrontation and a zero-sum game between the two parties in the Ukrainian crisis.