Dominant Narratives, External Shocks, and the Russian Annexation of Crimea

Abstract

ABSTRACT Existing explanations for the Russian annexation of Crimea do not pay enough attention to changes in the representation of the Ukraine crisis throughout its duration in Russian foreign policy discourse. This paper provides an additional interpretation, contending that the annexation became possible due to a particular context in which the events in Ukraine were presented as a threat to Russian compatriots. It also argues that due to the external shock of February 2014 events, the “threat to compatriots” narrative became a dominant one and was adopted by Russian authorities, which likely contributed to the decision to annex Crimea.