The Internal Logic of External Wars: Domestic Drivers in Russia–Ukraine and India–Pakistan Relations
Conflicts between states are often explained through external determinants such as power politics, alliances, and geopolitics. Yet, an equally critical dimension lies within the internal determinants that shape a state’s behavior and drive it toward confrontation. These include political leadership, ideology, domestic legitimacy, economic pressures, institutional interests, and public opinion. The Russia–Ukraine and India–Pakistan conflicts demonstrate how domestic imperatives often push states into external wars that mirror internal struggles for identity, stability, and authority.