title: Conﬂict as a Strategic Imperative in Putin’s Political Agenda: A Fundamental Component of Russia’s Strategic Framework
abstract: This paper delves into the nuanced motivations underpinning Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine, centered on preserving stability for Putin’s regime. Examining the intricate interplay between domestic and foreign concerns, the invasion emerged as a pivotal strategy to bolster domestic support and reinforce Russian leadership. Post-2012, Putin, in consolidating power through internal policies and external assertiveness, responded to catalysts – opposition protests in 2012 and Ukraine’s “Revolution 
journal: Studia Europejskie-Studies in European Affairs