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Rethinking International Relations: The Russian War Against Ukraine and the Shift to Planetary Politics

Teaching the Russian War against Ukraine, illustration.

How should the Russian war against Ukraine reshape the way we teach International Relations (IR) and European Union (EU) studies? In a groundbreaking new article, Professor Ian Manners argues that Ukraine serves as a microcosm of a larger paradigm shift—one that moves beyond traditional IR frameworks to embrace planetary politics.

Published as the lead article in a special issue of the Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society (edited by Kateryna Zarembo, Michèle Knodt, and Maksym Yakovlyev), Professor Manners’ work highlights a critical evolution in political thought. His article traces how the war has forced educators to rethink how they teach Ukraine, Russia, and the EU, examining:

  • How IR and EU studies were traditionally taught (1991–2022), focusing on what was included—and what was left out.
  • How Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 led to a rapid re-education, transforming academic perspectives on Ukraine and its role in global politics.
  • Why a shift to "planetary politics" is necessary, not just for understanding the war, but for tackling 21st-century global crises.

Professor Manners’ insights challenge scholars to update their teaching in response to these seismic changes. As the war continues to reshape geopolitical realities, this shift in perspective may prove crucial for the next generation of political scientists and policymakers.

Article online: https://www.ibidem.eu/out/media/vlb_9783838216935_2.pdf

Lund University Research Portal: https://portal.research.lu.se/en/publications/teaching-the-russian-war-against-ukraine-ukraine-as-a-microcosm-o

Ian Manners Departmental webpage