How does a country under heavy sanctions continue to win influence across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia? In this episode, Vladimir Liparteliani unpacks the full machinery of Russian soft power — from RT and Sputnik to educational diplomacy, cultural outreach, and religious projection.
Vladimir Liparteliani is an associate fellow at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University. As a scholar of international relations, he focuses on soft power and international power competition in the post-Soviet space.
Selected Publications:
Soft Power Competition Between Russia and the West: Contesting Georgian National Identity, 1991–2024
The Art of Subtle Influence: Russian Soft Power and Georgia’s Conservative Turn
Content
00:00 — Introduction
01:37 — Conceptualising Russian Soft Power: Beyond Nye’s Classical Framework
05:58 — Russian Scholarly Perspectives on Soft Power
07:10 — Soft Power, Strategic Communication, and Influence Operations in Russian Foreign Policy
08:42 — Strategic Ambiguity: The ‘Blurriness’ of Russian Soft Power
09:23 — Great Power Identity and the Logic of Russian Soft Power
11:53 — Soviet Legacies and Their Influence on Contemporary Russian Soft Power
14:21 — International Broadcasting as Soft Power: RT and Sputnik
18:22 — Narratives and Messaging in RT and Sputnik Content
20:52 — Global Accessibility and Restrictions on RT and Sputnik
23:02 — Educational Diplomacy in Russian Foreign Policy
26:22 — Education as a Soft Power Instrument
28:41 — The Experience of International Students in Russia
30:22 — Cultural Diplomacy and the Projection of Russian Culture
34:13 — Global Reception and Participation in Russian Cultural Initiatives
36:54 — The Russian Orthodox Church and Religious Soft Power
41:15 — Narrative Effectiveness and Audience Reception in Russian Soft Power
43:52 — The Interaction of Soft and Hard Power in Russian Strategy
46:49 — Soft Power within Russia’s Military and Security Agenda
49:09 — Adapting Russian Soft Power to New Political Realities
51:50 — The Impact of Sanctions on Russian Soft Power Adaptation
54:31 — Opportunities and Constraints for Russian Soft Power in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia
57:27 — Research Motivation: Studying Russian Soft Power
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