Words are key issues in contemporary conflicts. Staffs have understood this and are seizing on the war of stories, made up of intangible weapons, to intimidate enemies, reassure or galvanise public opinion heated up by the flood of images received on social networks. Communication and information have thus become areas of military operations in their own right. What rhetoric is used to legitimise a war? How do the relays of influence (social networks, media, etc.) disseminate these discourses? Who and what should we believe in today's context of disinformation? Using numerous examples from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Amélie Férey answers these key questions in her book "Les mots, armes d'une nouvelle guerre? Ukraine-Russia, the war of narratives in the 21st century".
Amélie Férey has a doctorate in political science and is a researcher at the Centre for Security Studies and head of the Defence Research Laboratory (LRD) at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). Her research focuses on the ethics and law of war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the legitimisation of armed force. She also teaches at Sciences Po Paris and Polytechnique.
A replay of this strategic debate is available on our Youtube channel: