Narratives in the Russian media of conflict and cooperation in the Arctic / [electronic resource] Ekaterina Klimenko, Annika E. Nilsson and Miyase Christensen

SIP1923

The Arctic has been narrated as both a region of cooperation and a region of conflict. This paper presents an analysis of how three Russian newspapers (Rossiyakaya Gazeta, Izvestiya and Novaya Gazeta) reported on the Arctic region between 2007 and 2016. The aim of the analysis is to provide a foundation for a discussion of Russian perceptions of conflict and cooperation in the Arctic in a decade when the desecuritization and peaceful cooperation that began in the late 1980s and early 1990s was challenged by a combination of changes to the physical environment and a shifting geopolitical landscape. The paper also explores how Russia’s narratives of conflict and cooperation fit into narratives about the region that have emerged in the international media. Last, the paper discusses what Russian media narratives can tell us about the priorities and future trends of Russia’s Arctic policy.

The research presented in this paper was made possible by funding from the Swedish Research Council Formas under the project ‘Arctic governance and the question of “fit” in an era of globally transformative change: A critical geopolitics of regional international cooperation (contract 2011- 2014-2010).