Masculinities and Putin’s War in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is largely being discussed in gender-neutral terms. Where it is gendered, it is primarily in the context of the impact on women and their role in protecting and caring for children. But this war is overwhelmingly gendered: it is an invasion conceived principally by one man and the men around him, is being fought largely between men, and is part of a wider masculinised system and process. This article explores the connections between masculinities and the Ukraine-Russia war, in particular President Putin’s construction of militarised nationalist masculinities and the impact of this war on the lives of men and their partners and families. A greater focus on men’s gender in the context of this current conflict, and war more broadly, has several implications for work on gender equality, peace, and security.