A Study of the Russia-Ukraine War from an Ontological Security Perspective

Conflicts and many of the states’ actions can be analyzed through the theory of ontological security. Sometimes, states take measures which endanger their physical and realistic security. States confront disdain through honor seeking actions. The main question of the present research state: how ontological security triggered Russia to start the war with Ukraine? To answer this question, the hypothesis of the research states that neglecting Russia’s existential security borders from the West – within the form of NATO – led Russia to extensive military conflict with Ukraine in order to remind the West of its existential security borders. In the present research, data gathering method has been based on internet and library documents and the research has been conducted on the basis of descriptive-analytical approach. The findings of the research shows that Russia-Ukraine war has risen within the theoretical framework of ontological security which is based on Eurasianism and Russian nationalism and geopolitics that shape Russia’s biographic narrative. Russia’s attack on Ukraine is considered to be an honorable action to refrain from shame and disdain.