Authors

Discussion

This paper explores the narrative dimension of Russia’s foreign policy, using the resurgence of an anti-(neo)colonial rhetoric in the Russian political discourse since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a case study. It aligns with the “narrative turn” in International Relations and the conceptual framework of “strategic narratives,” which, according to Miskimmon, Roselle, and O’Loughlin, aim to “construct a shared meaning of the past, present, and future in international politics to shape the behavior of domestic and international actors.”  Unlike most empirical studies that begin by analyzing key actors to identify the narratives they construct, this research reverses the approach by starting with the narrative itself and then tracing it back to its creators and disseminators, thereby clarifying their motives and foreign policy objectives.

The analysis first identifies the political “narrators” of Russia’s anti-(neo)colonial strategic narrative, including President Putin, governmental figures, MPs, and the diplomatic network. It then examines how this narrative is propagated by the ecosystem of Russian information influence abroad, such as transnational state media RT and Sputnik, or Evgeny Prigozhin’s Lakhta Project. Particular attention is given to sub-Saharan Africa, where Russian actors have sought to legitimize their presence alongside a notable resurgence of engagement in recent years. I finally highlight three objectives the Russian state seek to achieve through this narrative, in parallel with its ambition to “de-Westernize” the international system: legitimizing its current foreign policy by creating a historical link to Soviet anti-imperialism; renewing criticism of Western interventionism, often through accusatory inversion; and appealing to audiences in the “Global South” by aligning discursively with their perspectives.