Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Context, Causes, and Consequences

The reasons for Russia's attack on Ukraine have become a much-debated topic. In this introductory article to this special issue, we identify three types of explanations that focus, respectively, on (1) Putin's imperial ambitions, (2) domestic factors inside Russia, and (3) external pressures. We show that each perspective offers valuable insights but fails to provide a convincing stand-alone account. Building on this, we put forward an integrated, multi-causal explanation of why Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022.