Between State and Society: Understanding Russia’s Foreign Policy
Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/07/2026
12:30 am - 1:45 am
Location
Leamington Spa Baptist Church
Categories
On 4 July Warwick District United Nations Association will welcome Dr Anastassiya Mahon who will address the issue
Between State and Society: Understanding Russia’s Foreign Policy
Anastassiya will be addressing the local UN Association on the role of Russia in the current geopolitics which is shaping our world. The view of Russian society in general and how they are reacting/viewing the situation in Ukraine, Iran, China and the Middle East plus Russia`s attitude toward multilateralism e.g. the UN, EU, NATO and BRICS plus Russia`s foreign policy in general.
The event will run from 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm at Leamington Spa Baptist Church, Chandos Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 4RN. This will be a hybrid event, open to both in-person and online attendees. Tea, coffee, and biscuits will be available — feel free to bring your own lunch.
Anastassiya Mahon is a political scientist of security and authoritarian politics whose work examines how (in)security narratives consolidate power, police dissent, and justify intervention. Her research spans Russia, Eurasia, and the Middle East, with interests in digital repression, memory politics, and the strategic use of humanitarian language in conflict and foreign policy. She has published in Critical Studies on Security, International Studies Perspectives, the Journal of Illiberalism Studies, and the Conversation. Based in the UK, she teaches international relations, security studies and Russian politics. She writes at www.unlimitedpolitics.com.
Anastassiya has just published a new book examining how the Kremlin has used the threat of terrorism to shape Russian politics, from the Chechen wars through to Syria and Ukraine. The book explores how terrorism has been framed as an existential threat to legitimise political consolidation and international intervention. You can find it here. “Terrorism and Power in Russia: The Empire of (In)security and the Remaking of Politics“ By Anastassiya Mahon
Anastassiya teaches and writes about International Relations, Russian politics, Foreign Policy, Security Studies, Terrorism and Counterterrorism, Comparative Politics, and the role of gender in global power dynamics — particularly how gender remains sidelined in security debates.
She studied PhD in Political Science from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand (you can read her thesis here), and is now based in the UK. She live with her brilliant and curious daughter, who keeps her asking big questions outside academia, too. Her blog is where she shares thoughts on politics, policy, research, teaching, and the (in)securities that define our world.