Standing with Ukraine? How citizens trade off self-interest and principles in supporting war-torn international partners

Autor: Troels Bøggild, Sascha Göbel, Philipp Lutscher, Jacob Nyrup
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Research & Politics, Vol 11 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2053-1680
20531680
DOI: 10.1177/20531680241252399
Popis: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an attack on democracy, human rights, and the international order. While European democracies have supported their war-torn partner, Russia has sought to undermine public support by stopping its gas supply and imposing economic costs on European citizens. In consequence, Europeans find themselves caught between economic self-interest and principles. We present a theoretical argument and test how corresponding arguments for and against continued backing of Ukraine affect citizens’ support using experimental and observational data collected while concerns with gas shortage and inflation mounted in Germany and Denmark. We find that support for Ukraine does not falter due to economic concerns. In contrast, citizens become more supportive when presented with arguments related to human rights, democracy, and respect for territorial boundaries. We discuss implications for understanding citizens’ responses to autocratic power strategies and how support likely depends on the type of partner and domestic elite rhetoric.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals