Russia’s war in Ukraine has been labelled by many as a “turning point” for foreign policy worldwide, hence, it is crucial that the German government’s approach will reflect the values and commitments of its Feminist Foreign Policy guidelines and will therefore resist pressure to return to realpolitik and the militarisation of our multilateral order. Employing feminist analysis will illuminate the strategic anti-gender element of Russia’s domestic and foreign policy and will help to contextualise it within a much broader, transnational anti-feminist movement. Furthermore, the hostility that Russia expresses towards gender equality resolutions and processes at the international level is underscored by the same force that oppresses women, LGBTQI* individuals, and other marginalised groups within its own borders. It will therefore also be essential to forge connections with (feminist) civil society in Russia as well as Russians in the diaspora in order to mobilise for feminist peace.
Based on the above, CFFP, together with Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, is implementing the project “A Feminist Foreign Policy Towards Russia”. In doing so, we will build on the insights drawn from our project “A Feminist Foreign Policy Towards Ukraine”, which we implemented together with the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation in 2023, in particular from our discussions with Ukrainian civil society, activists, and scholars, in order to develop recommendations for the German government on how to engage with Russia going forward and how to address the root causes of its violence, oppression, and imperialism.