Enemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns

Abstract

ate a distinction between the Russian and Ukrainian identities, with the views of Vladimir Putin who in a speech quoted by Kolstø stated; “Ukrainians may like it or not, but we are one and the same people” (p.110). It is against this background Kolstø asserts that Ukrainian insistence on unique national identity must be understood (p.110). Given this perspective of hindsight, the latter half of the book addressing the events of 2014 provides the reader with an excellent analysis of how the inclusion of the Crimean peninsular into the Russian Federation set a precedent that many Russians anticipated to see replicated in Donbas. The Russian government’s subsequent inability to replicate the redrawing of national boundaries, led to anger and exasperation in nationalist circles. The Kremlin it seemed, was likely not in control of the situation, with the population of Donbas seemingly setting the pace of events, making it unclear whether the state had predicted the outbreak of conflict in east Ukraine (p.192). What developed, as he explains, was a situation where imperialist and ethnic nationalist frustration at the state, began to develop into more personal accusations, not necessarily levied at Putin himself but of those that surrounded him (p.202). Aleksandr Dugin as Kolstø refers, even talked of a “betrayal of national interests” on the social media platform VKontakte and suggested that there must be a “sixth column” in Putin’s ranks (p.205). This investigation into Crimea is significant as it is easy to draw parallels with similar reactions to failures in the February 2022 “special operation.” Already we can see elites beginning to apportion blame and the idea of a fifth (or sixth) column misleading the Kremlin has again reared its head in public discourse. Just as in the follow up to Crimean inclusion therefore there is the possibility that public unrest may appear not due to opposition to the “special operation” but due to its lack of progress. What Kolstø captures is that the Kremlin regime “might end up like the sorcerer’s apprentice, who knew how to make the broom fetch water – but not how to stop it” (p.216). The ideas underpinning this book are compelling therefore as they can be so easily transplanted to emerging situations, especially with events now moving rapidly in the post-Soviet sphere. With protests in Moldova and renewed fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there is potential to develop on these ideas and concepts further on the tracks of nationalism in scholarship. This book is therefore a must read for anyone interested in the subject and it will be interesting to see Kolstø’s work moving forward in this highly volatile region.