Excessive Brotherly Love? - 'Fraternity' of Russians and Ukrainians as a Russian Propaganda Narrative

Institutions can be formal (rules, laws, and their enforcement mechanisms) and informal (self-regulation, codes of ethics and conduct, conventions, deeply embedded social norms).8 However, once the institutions have developed and taken root, they begin to further "steer" national culture-as the levee steers and contains the river-thus, preventing rapid and abrupt cultural shifts.9 Institutions structure social interaction of people by endorsing shared and legitimate understandings of reality10 (what is happening and what to make of it). [...]no significant changes in the national culture can happen unless profound institutional changes occur. In such a society, appealing to those in power becomes increasingly more important than "doing one's job." [...]the pattern of these informal non-transparent relationships persists, it will hinder the development and the functioning of formal, transparent institutions. [...]distinctly different views of Ukraine's geopolitical role and voting behavior persist today in the respective territories.