Dugin’s Russkiy Mir: Why The ideology of Putin’s Whisperer Blocks Peace in Ukraine

 

Introduction:

Alexander Dugin’s ideology has provided Putin with a powerful narrative to justify authoritarianism at home and aggression abroad.
For a SnapBrief see: Alexander Dugins ideology.
This Russkiy Mir ideology for a Russian Empire, hardly understood by Donald Trump, presents a significant obstacle to any meaningful ceasefire or peace agreement in the Ukraine war.  Here’s why:

1. Ideological Rejection of Ukrainian Sovereignty Dugin’s core belief is that Ukraine is not a legitimate state, but an artificial construct created by the West to weaken Russia. He argues that Ukraine’s existence as an independent country is a direct threat to Russia’s security and civilizational mission. For Dugin and his followers, the war is not about territorial concessions or political compromise, but about the complete “reunification” of what he calls the “Russian world.” This means the eradication of Ukrainian statehood and identity, not just the occupation of territory [1,2,3].

2. Existential Stakes for Russia Dugin frames the conflict as an existential struggle: either Russia prevails and restores its imperial greatness, or it is reduced to a “servile and secondary place in the world,” dominated by Western liberalism. From this perspective, any ceasefire that leaves Ukraine as a sovereign, Western-oriented state is unacceptable. The war is seen as a necessary step to “reunify” all Eastern Slavs and Eurasian peoples under Russian leadership, and anything less is a failure [1,4].

3. No Room for Compromise Dugin’s rhetoric and influence mean that even if Putin were to consider a temporary ceasefire for tactical reasons, the ideological framework he has helped shape leaves little room for a lasting peace. The Kremlin’s public rhetoric, increasingly aligned with Dugin’s views, rejects the very idea of Ukraine as a separate nation. This makes it nearly impossible to negotiate a settlement that Ukraine and the West could accept, as it would require Russia to recognize Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity—something Dugin’s ideology explicitly denies [2,5,3].

4. Historical Precedents and Broken Agreements Past attempts at ceasefires (such as the Minsk agreements) were repeatedly violated by Russia, in part because they did not align with the long-term goal of subjugating Ukraine. Dugin and his allies view such agreements as temporary tactical pauses, not genuine steps toward peace. The Kremlin’s refusal to honor previous commitments suggests that any new agreement would face the same fate unless it fully meets Russia’s maximalist demands [6].

5. Western Misunderstanding of the Ideological Drive Many Western analysts underestimate the depth of Dugin’s influence on Russian elites and the extent to which his ideology has been internalized by the Kremlin. For Dugin and his followers, the war is not about security guarantees or buffer zones, but about the survival and expansion of a distinct Russian civilization. This makes traditional diplomatic solutions—such as territorial concessions or neutrality guarantees—unlikely to satisfy Moscow’s ideological objectives [1,5].

Outlook for Ceasefires or Peace Agreements

Short-term: A frozen conflict or temporary ceasefire is possible, especially if Russia seeks to consolidate gains or regroup militarily. However, such a pause would likely be used to prepare for further offensives, not as a step toward genuine peace.

Long-term: A durable peace agreement is highly unlikely under the current ideological framework. For Dugin and his supporters, the war will only end when Ukraine is fully reintegrated into Russia or reduced to a vassal state. Any agreement that falls short of this would be seen as a betrayal of Russia’s civilizational mission [1,4,5].

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References

[1] "Ukraine war gives Alexander Dugin's Eurasianist ideology new force," Coda Story, 2022. Link
[2] "What is behind Alexander Dugin’s 'Russian world'?" New Eastern Europe, 2022. Link
[3] "How Alexander Dugin’s Neo-Eurasianists geared up for the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2005-2013," Euromaidan Press, 2016. Link
[4] "How will Russia’s war on Ukraine end?" The Strategist, 2024. Link
[5] "A real Russian heart: Aleksandr Dugin, Vladimir Putin and the dangerous new Russian ideology," Engelsberg Ideas, 2023. Link [6] "Peace negotiations in the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present) - Wikipedia," 2025. Link