| dc.description.abstract | Over the last two years, the perceptions and opinions about Russia in Norwegian society have been drastically altered. During the escalating conflict in Ukraine in 2014, Norwegian ministers repeatedly made statements and judgements on Russia’s actions. By analyzing these statements, the study tries to survey the ideas and presuppositions determining the Norwegian government’s statements about Russia. Furthermore, the study tries to explore whether the government’s discourses are reflected in the opinion-based articles of three Norwegian newspapers.
Key findings suggest that the official Norwegian statements on Russia through the Ukraine conflict are based upon two superior discourses: A western discourse, that is, opinions that are consistent with the EU sanctions and NATO policy, and a northern, neighbouring discourse, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a good relationship with Russia in the northern areas. The relationship between these two discourses is hierarchic in the sense that the premises of the western discourse are superior to the alternative neighbouring discourse. In the Norwegian government’s statements about Russia’s actions through the Ukraine conflict, these two discourses appear in parallel. The newspaper material, on the other hand, mostly reflects the government’s western discourse, even when it comes to the the North. Conclusively, the hegemony of the western discourse enables a political line of confrontation towards Russia, whereas the neighbourly relationship and cooperation in the North gets less attention. Since politicians as well as the media are important providers for the creation of public opinion, the analysis also reveals important premises for the Norwegian public’s perception of Russia. | nb_NO |
