Russia’s relations with the West: ontological security through conflict

Employing the notion of ‘ontological security’, this study situates ‘the West’ within the contemporary Russian identity debate. It argues that opposition to an allegedly hostile West has cemented a collective Russian understanding of ‘Russianness’ which emphasises so-called traditional values and norms, all of which are said to be under pressure from the West. This process, so the article, is fuelled partly by endogenous preferences found within the Russian electorate, partly by political engineering and manipulation. The outcome is a more conflictual relationship between Russia and the West but also greater ontological security on part of the Russian population.