This study examines Russia’s ongoing reflexive control as part of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict in the framework of political realignment theory that explains tectonic changes in voter and political decision-making behavior in Western Ukrainian democratic allies. The research produces a concept model that suggests the types of attitudes of reflexive control messaging aimed at realigned political leaders and voter blocks. When applied to the USA (biggest donor) and the three top European aid supporters of Ukraine, the model suggests that reflexive control operations messaging will resonate positively with the National Collectivist camp of Trump, Le Pen, Farage, Chrupalla/ Weidel, and Wagenknecht especially in the areas of multipolarity of the world, non-interventionism, distrust of global institutions such as NATO, EU and United Nations and opposition to internationally coordinated sanctions. The messaging is assessed as critical of the policies and positions advocated by the cosmopolitan liberal camp led by Biden, Macron, Starmer, Scholz, Söder, and Merz. The appeal to the Radical Left is more nuanced due to its idealistic globalist platform, historic voter sympathies of Marxism and, in some cases, of the Russian Federation, and the inclination of some of its leaders to oppose the USA being a leader of cosmopolitan values.
BT - Information & Security: An International Journal DO - https://doi.org/10.11610/isij.5519 IS - 3 N2 -This study examines Russia’s ongoing reflexive control as part of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict in the framework of political realignment theory that explains tectonic changes in voter and political decision-making behavior in Western Ukrainian democratic allies. The research produces a concept model that suggests the types of attitudes of reflexive control messaging aimed at realigned political leaders and voter blocks. When applied to the USA (biggest donor) and the three top European aid supporters of Ukraine, the model suggests that reflexive control operations messaging will resonate positively with the National Collectivist camp of Trump, Le Pen, Farage, Chrupalla/ Weidel, and Wagenknecht especially in the areas of multipolarity of the world, non-interventionism, distrust of global institutions such as NATO, EU and United Nations and opposition to internationally coordinated sanctions. The messaging is assessed as critical of the policies and positions advocated by the cosmopolitan liberal camp led by Biden, Macron, Starmer, Scholz, Söder, and Merz. The appeal to the Radical Left is more nuanced due to its idealistic globalist platform, historic voter sympathies of Marxism and, in some cases, of the Russian Federation, and the inclination of some of its leaders to oppose the USA being a leader of cosmopolitan values.
PY - 2024 SE - 299 SP - 299 EP - 330 T2 - Information & Security: An International Journal TI - Russian Reflexive Control Campaigns Targeting Political Realignment of Ukraine’s Democratic Allies: Critical Review and Conceptualization VL - 55 ER -