Liberal intervention's renewed crisis

Apart from a violent war in Ukraine, Russia has also recently increased engagements in Africa – particular, but not exclusively, in Africa’s Sahel region through the Wagner Group. This article looks at how the west has responded to Russia’s engagements on the continent.

Much of the liberal response has been formulated within a great power vacuum-logic, which sees Russian influence as resulting from Russia filling a vacuum left when other interveners downscale.

This vacuum logic can have negative consequences for liberal actors’ ability to address critical shortcomings of their own approach and may unintendedly provide further grounds for (rather than counter) Russian influence. In the end the vacuum logic therefore risks leaving liberal actors worse off, while benefitting Russia.