title: The path to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine: Moscow’s framing of conflict and cooperation with the West under Putin’s rule
abstract: &lt;p&gt;This article explores the relationship between the evolution of Russia’s foreign policy narrative (RN) and the breakdown of its relations with the West. Even though the West is a rather fluid and nebulous concept, it is central to Russian foreign policy and primarily encompasses the EU and the United States (US), but also other countries like Canada, Japan or Australia that are framed by the RN as key supporters of US leadership in the world order. Relations between the West and Russia 
journal: Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies