ABSTRACT
Russia employs warfare techniques designed to sow uncertainty strategically. One result is uncertainty about what Russian elites and voters believe, how malleable those beliefs are, and whether beliefs (and associated emotions) will outlast the current Russian regime. Probing links between emotions and uncertainty is our primary goal in this chapter. Since research suggests that emotions affect information processing, we employ a typology of emotions analyzed by Roger Petersen – hate, resentment, and fear – to parse the content of propagandistic government narratives designed to provoke anger and authorize violence. Next, we introduce the reader to data from a special sample: interviews with 57 fighters who volunteered to go to war against Ukraine in 2014. Respondents reveal a striking similarity in emotional content, as well as common words and symbols. Importantly, most subjects understood themselves to be fighting for their homes on the defensive. We conclude with a return to theory. Since the Russian narrative often sows uncertainty about the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state, Ukrainians have been put in a situation where it is reasonable for them to feel hate, resentment, and fear towards Russians – a discouraging combination for conflict resolution.
