In the Beginning Was the Word: The Role of Language and Culture in Peace Operations
In the Beginning Was the Word: The Role of Language and Culture in Peace Operations
Author(s): Nadia Gergało-DąbekSubject(s): Foreign languages learning, Eastern Slavic Languages, Security and defense, Military policy, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Russian war against Ukraine
Published by: Univerzita obrany - Centrum bezpečnostních a vojenskostrategických studií
Keywords: Cultural Competence; Language Support; NATO Missions; Peace Operations; Stabilization in Ukraine;
Summary/Abstract: The article examines proposals for post-war peacekeeping in Ukraine, emphasizing that future missions must integrate linguistic and cultural competence as strategic assets rather than auxiliary skills. Drawing on experiences from NATO and UN operations, it argues that knowledge of the local language markedly improves trust, intelligence gathering, and operational safety. Because Russia’s war is fundamentally an identity-driven, imperial conflict aimed at erasing Ukrainian nationhood, relying on Russian language or Russocentric expertise would reproduce “imperial knowledge” and undermine mission legitimacy. The study contends that only Ukrainian-centered, decolonized preparation – grounded in cooperation with Ukrainian scholars and institutions – can ensure the effectiveness and social acceptance of any stabilization force deployed after the war.
Journal: Vojenské rozhledy
- Issue Year: 35/2026
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 72-86
- Page Count: 15
- Language: English
