A Comparative Analysis of the Ukraine Crisis Through the Prisms of Offensive Realism and Liberal Internationalism

Abstract

In this article, the Ukraine crisis will be analyzed through the prisms of two different International Relations (IR) theories, namely Offensive Realism and Liberal Internationalism. While presenting relevant theoretical discussions, this work will specifically focus on two IR experts, John J. Mearsheimer and John G. Ikenberry, whose names have been associated with these theories. By drawing on the works of Mearsheimer and Ikenberry’s for Offensive Realism and Liberal Internationalism respectively, this work will try to make sense of the developments surrounding the Ukraine crisis, while also exploring the explanatory capacities of these two theories through a comparative approach. The insights offered by these theories in explainingRussia’s actions and Ukraine’s motivation during the crisis will be put to test. In addition, with a focus on the West, this work also aims to offer perspectives through the prisms of these theories on ways to end the Ukraine crisis.