The Legitimization of Authoritarian Rule Through Constructed External Threats: Russian Propaganda During the Ukrainian Crisis

Abstract

This article focuses on normative regime legitimization through the construction of external threats and reference to national identity. According to aspirational constructivism, domestically constructed national identity influences the country’s relationship with its Others and hence its foreign policy. Political elites often transform these alien Others into external “evil”, or enemies, through political propaganda in order to get support for the country’s external policies and to strengthen the domestic legitimacy of the regime. During the Ukrainian crisis that started in November 2013, Russian political elites resorted to the use of aggressive propaganda and enemy-or-friend-thinking in order to promote their statist and civilizationist aspirations, while co-opting national sentiments amongst the Russian population. This helps Putin to garner additional domestic support for his authoritarian rule and jeopardizes the Westernist elements of Russia’s national identity.

Keywords: Ukrainian crisis, Russia, evilization, propaganda, identity