Проблема статусу Аляски в сучасній російській політичній риториці

Abstract

The problem of the legal status of Alaska and its reflection in the modern political rhetoric of the Russian Federation are considered in the article. The main reasons for the sale of Alaska by the Russian Empire to the United States of America were researched: the loss of the Russian empire in the Crimean War; remoteness of Alaska from the Russian capital; unprofitability of Alaska in then conditions; the desire to establish friendly relations with the US and other countries. It is found that the main reasons for the growing interest of the Russian Federation in changing the geopolitical status of Alaska at the present stage are the following: the presence of significant reserves of natural resources on the peninsula, including oil, gas, zinc, gold, wood, etc.; the importance of the geopolitical location of the peninsula, the possession of which gives access to the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route; imperial policy of the Russian Federation, etc. It is noted that the main political forces in Russia, advocating the return of the territory of Alaska to Russian jurisdiction, are the LDPR and its leader Volodymyr Zhyrynovskyi; Party of Veterans of Russia; Communist Party of the Russian Federation; individual political scientists, journalists, political figures. The nature of their statements about the revision of the status of Alaska, the active use of social networks to disseminate the opinion that Alaska should be returned under the jurisdiction of Russia, are revealed. It was determined that the Russian political rhetoric to change the geopolitical status of Alaska sounds only from certain political forces, but is not an official position of the current Russian government. At the same time, it was shown that the Russian Federation is strengthening its military presence in the territories adjacent to Alaska, that can be regarded as a desire to strengthen the influence and presence in the Arctic.