The Russian approach to peacekeeping.

The article examines Russia's approach to peacekeeping, highlighting its central role in Russian foreign policy and its controversial application over the past three decades. It discusses how Russia often labels military interventions—such as the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and operations in post-Soviet states—as "peacekeeping," a practice criticized by Western scholars and the UN Secretary-General for politicizing and misusing the concept. The analysis finds that Russia is moving toward a more pragmatic and flexible model of peacekeeping, characterized by a lowered threshold for intervention, unilateral actions without UN mandates, integration of operations across physical, cyber, and cognitive domains, and increased reliance on private military companies like the Wagner Group. This evolving approach is likely to intensify conflicts of interest between Russia and Western states and may undermine established international peacekeeping norms.