Commentary on Kögler: analysing the Ukraine war through a ‘new wars’ perspective

This essay provides supplementary evidence for Kögler’s thesis. It argues that Putin will have ‘won’ if he succeeds in reducing Ukrainian society to a chaotic, fragmented, violent, long-term social condition that can be characterised as a ‘new war’. The essay describes the combination of the ‘political marketplace’ and exclusivist identity politics typical of new wars and how they apply to Putin’s Russia. It concludes with a proposal for negotiations based on principles, especially justice, instead of or as well as borders.