How Russia Projects Soft Power Across Three Continents — Vladimir Liparteliani

21. 4. 2026

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

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.

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