ELITE POLITICAL CULTURE AND RUSSIAN INTERVENTION IN SYRIA: A SUBJECTIVE DIMENSION OF MOSCOW'S PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This article examines Russia’s military intervention in Syria in 2015, seeking to understand how the subjective perspectives of the Russian political elite contributed to attributing political and symbolic significance to Moscow’s actions in the conflict. The objective is to analyze how these orientations help explain the importance attached to Syria and Russia’s willingness to bear costs in order to prop up the government of Bashar Al-Assad. Methodologically, a qualitative approach is adopted that combines a literature review on political culture with a documentary analysis of Russian official statements and documents. The analysis identifies, on the cognitive level, perceptions regarding the international order and NATO’s expansion; on the affective level, feelings associated with the post-Soviet experience, the loss of status, and national identity; and, on the evaluative level, the value placed on sovereignty and political stability. It is argued that these perspectives complement materialist explanations of Russian foreign policy by demonstrating how beliefs, feelings, and normative criteria contribute to understanding the interpretation of the Syrian crisis and the importance attributed to Moscow’s intervention.