Uncertainties of the Russo-Ukraine War: Reframing the Discourse

This chapter discusses the uncertainties that impact war activities and the political rhetoric in the West and Russia concerning the changing representation of war in the political arenas and on the battlefield. It is argued that the territorial losses and gains over the 2022–2023 winter month and the expectation of a Ukrainian spring counter-offensive changed the initial discourses on both sides of the political spectrum. It is shown that the political discourse on both sides hardened, and the hostilities between the warring parties increased to such an extent that diplomacy—for the time being—is no longer an option. Two main arguments concerning the ‘death of diplomacy’ are discussed. It is argued that both are based on perceived or real existential threats. Ukraine perceives an existential threat from Russia and the latter an existential threat from the Western Alliance, such as having NATO on its doorstep in Ukraine. This, so the argument goes, does not allow much room for diplomatic solutions amidst an ongoing war. In conclusion, the chapter articulates an argument that due to the changing political and military situation and the death of diplomacy, there is no winner in sight.