Transactional diplomacy as a tool of and for the consolidation of authoritarian regimes.

What is it about?

This paper examines a puzzling aspect of Russia’s war in Ukraine: the involvement of China and Türkiye as mediators. Given the absence of ripe conditions for effective mediation, why have China and Türkiye intervened diplomatically in the conflict? This research contends that both Chinese and Turkish involvement in the Russian war against Ukraine has been motivated by a desire to consolidate their own national identity and, by extension, their authority and control over domestic society. Building on existing insights about the efficacy of high stakes diplomacy for enhancing the resilience of authoritarian regimes, this research investigates the trajectory of Chinese and Turkish diplomatic engagement with the Russian war in Ukraine. While those engagements differ in degree and intensity, our analysis reveals a consistent connection between the mediation activities and narratives of both states and a self-interested pursuit of national identity consolidation that contributes to enhanced regime legitimacy and authority. In light of the theme of this special issue, we conclude that the transactional approach to diplomacy and mediation employed by China and Türkiye is inferior to, and at odds with, a ‘peace through victory’ approach.

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Photo by Bruno on Unsplash

Photo by Bruno on Unsplash