Past, Present and Future : History, Memory Politics and the Russo- Ukrainian War in Official Russian Discourse 2021-2023

Abstract: This thesis investigates what narrative themes are found in the historical framing used in Russian political communication in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War from December 2021 to February 2023. Using a qualitative content analysis in combination with framing theory, transcripts of the Russian president’s political communications and the Russian Foreign Ministry’s press briefings are analysed as to the main narrative themes found within concerning the Russo-Ukrainian war. The thesis argues that the narrative themes of (1) External Enemies, (2) Diplomacy, (3) Historical Truth and (4) Unity are used to relieve Russia of any responsibility for the war justifying it as a pre-emptive war of defence, the preservation of historical truth and the importance of unity in the face of this historic crisis. It also discusses the implications of the findings for the future of Russian memory politics and the use of historical framing.