The return of hard power in international relations: Russia's aggression against Ukraine, reasons and consequences

This bachelor thesis deals with the topic of the return of hard power in international relations, specifically the aggression of Russia towards Ukraine and its reasons and impacts. The thesis focuses on the analysis of the debate between offensive realists and answers two research questions: How can the use of hard power by Russia against Ukraine be justified from the perspective of offensive realism? What are the impacts of the use of hard power by Russia against Ukraine on the international system? The results of the analysis show that aggression can be justified as a defense against NATO expansion and Russia's efforts to secure its borders, security, power politics, and national interests. The impacts of the conflict are most pronounced in the region of Ukraine, but also negatively affect European states, their security, and economic stability. At the same time, global international security is threatened, along with the associated security dilemma.