The Role of Strategic Interests: U.S. Foreign Policy in the 2025 US-Russia Peace Negotiations on Ukraine Through a Realist Lens

Sammanfattning

The following thesis examines the 2025 US-Russia peace negotiations on Ukraine through a realist lens, with a primary focus on US strategic interests and how they shape its outcomes. This study employs a qualitative content analysis of official statements, drawing from the theoretical framework of structural realism by Kenneth Waltz, the theory of hierarchy by David Lake, and the role of alliances and abandonment by Stephen Walt. Furthermore, arguing that the case of Ukraine exemplifies a proxy war between great powers, Russia and the United States. Drawing on the work of Bandeira (2019), the findings reveal how proxy wars serve primarily as strategic tools for dominant states. Conversely, arguing that US foreign policy prioritises power dynamics over the normative commitment, as it was evident in Ukraine's exclusion and the role of the mineral deal. This paper and the findings reaffirm that the case of Ukraine in 2025 demonstrates the prevalence of realism in international relations. Notably, this study contributes to the IR debate by highlighting the role of power in international politics and challenging liberal institutionalist assumptions.