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Russian Strategic Narratives During the War in Ukraine: A Qualitative Content Analysis of the First Month

Velander, John LU (2023) SKOM12 20231
Department of Strategic Communication
Abstract (Swedish)
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused division among nations, with large parts
of the Global South either refraining from condemning Russia or outright criticizing the West for its pro-Ukraine stance. It highlights the need to examine
Russia’s public diplomacy efforts and ability to attract parts of the Global South
in the context of the war. Based on this notion, the following thesis examines
strategic narratives in mediated public diplomacy efforts by the Russian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Twitter regarding the war in Ukraine. While the
study draws from mediated public diplomacy research, the paper rejects
traditional soft power and framing analysis. Instead, the following research
utilizes the theory of strategic... (More)
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused division among nations, with large parts
of the Global South either refraining from condemning Russia or outright criticizing the West for its pro-Ukraine stance. It highlights the need to examine
Russia’s public diplomacy efforts and ability to attract parts of the Global South
in the context of the war. Based on this notion, the following thesis examines
strategic narratives in mediated public diplomacy efforts by the Russian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Twitter regarding the war in Ukraine. While the
study draws from mediated public diplomacy research, the paper rejects
traditional soft power and framing analysis. Instead, the following research
utilizes the theory of strategic narratives in a qualitative content analysis to
examine how narratives are projected in Russian mediated public diplomacy
efforts. The results suggest that the Russian MFA projects several strategic
narratives on Twitter about themselves, others, and the conflict in Ukraine to gain support for their policy of invading. Crucial findings show that strategic narratives about the war in Ukraine are just as much about discrediting the Ukrainian government as it aims to vilify the West, appealing to the Global South, building international coalitions to match the West, and challenging the current world order. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Velander, John LU
supervisor
organization
course
SKOM12 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
mediated public diplomacy, Russian public diplomacy, strategic narratives, war in Ukraine
language
English
id
9122464
date added to LUP
2023-06-09 14:34:08
date last changed
2023-06-09 14:34:08
@misc{9122464,
  abstract     = {{Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused division among nations, with large parts
of the Global South either refraining from condemning Russia or outright criticizing the West for its pro-Ukraine stance. It highlights the need to examine
Russia’s public diplomacy efforts and ability to attract parts of the Global South
in the context of the war. Based on this notion, the following thesis examines
strategic narratives in mediated public diplomacy efforts by the Russian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Twitter regarding the war in Ukraine. While the
study draws from mediated public diplomacy research, the paper rejects
traditional soft power and framing analysis. Instead, the following research
utilizes the theory of strategic narratives in a qualitative content analysis to
examine how narratives are projected in Russian mediated public diplomacy
efforts. The results suggest that the Russian MFA projects several strategic
narratives on Twitter about themselves, others, and the conflict in Ukraine to gain support for their policy of invading. Crucial findings show that strategic narratives about the war in Ukraine are just as much about discrediting the Ukrainian government as it aims to vilify the West, appealing to the Global South, building international coalitions to match the West, and challenging the current world order.}},
  author       = {{Velander, John}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Russian Strategic Narratives During the War in Ukraine: A Qualitative Content Analysis of the First Month}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}