Russia’s aggression against Ukraine since 24 February 2022 has transformed the security landscape in Europe, and has had profound implications for the Indo-Pacific and the rest of the world. While much has been debated about the invasion and its aftermath, in-depth evaluation of Strategic Communications lessons from Western and global responses to Russia’s aggression on Ukraine is yet to come. This seminar presents one of the first opportunities to provide for such an analysis, gathering together strategic communications and area expertise from both Europe and Asia. In particular the seminar will evaluate differing strategic communications practices and patterns that have emerged in the Russian-Ukraine confrontation; the framing of the war and evaluations of the invasion in Western narratives; the impact of ambiguity in strategic communications in Afghanistan and Ukraine; the StratCom implications of the Russian invasion for alliances and partnerships globally, including in the Indo-Pacific; and the Chinese narratives regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, among others.

Panelists: Philip Shetler-Jones, “The Framing of Russia’s War: A Conceptual or a Narrative Failure?”
Neville Bolt, “Ambiguity and Strategic Communications: Lessons from Afghanistan and Ukraine”
Paul Charon, “China’s Narratives on the Invasion of Ukraine: International Dimension (Including in the Global South)”
Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova “China’s Narratives on the Invasion of Ukraine: Domestic Dimension”
Reactions from: Ofer Fridman, Maxime Audinet, and Aurelio Insisa (online)
Moderator: Chiyuki Aoi, Professor, GraSPP/SCERU