Strategic Culture and the Impossibility of Trust: Russian and American Strategic Positioning in the Ukraine Conflict

This article examines the strategic positioning of Russia and the United States in the Ukraine conflict through the lens of Strategic Culture Theory. Drawing on historical patterns of Russian diplomatic behaviour spanning from the Tsarist era to the Putin regime, and analysing American strategic culture under Trump’s leadership, this study argues that deeply embedded strategic cultures make sustainable peace agreements fundamentally impossible. The analysis demonstrates how Russian strategic culture, characterised by a pattern of treaty violation and territorial expansion, intersects with American strategic culture’s emphasis on personal leadership and transactional diplomacy, creating structural impediments to conflict resolution. Using recent diplomatic failures surrounding Trump’s peace initiatives as a primary case study, supplemented by comparative historical analysis, the article illustrates how strategic culture shapes state behaviour in ways that transcend individual leadership changes or tactical considerations. Through quantitative analysis of treaty violations and qualitative examination of diplomatic discourse, this research contributes to our understanding of how strategic culture operates as both a constraining and enabling force in international relations.

Keywords: Strategic Culture, Russia, United States, Ukraine, Diplomatic History, International Relations Theory, Treaty Violations, Commitment Problems.